Saracens and Saints smash each other at Allianz Park
Saturday saw two of the most physical teams clash at Allianz Park, with Saracens taking the spoils after a ‘ferocious’ (as Lawrence Dallaglio was intent to describe it) encounter with Saints. The first 55 minutes were far from the easy pickings that the home side are used to, but Alex Waller’s yellow card changed the momentum of the game. The remainder of the match served to remind us exactly why Saracens are the best side in Europe – they punished any errors and made the most of the advantage that Northampton had given them, leaving with a comfortable looking 27-12 win.
What the first half lacked in imaginative back play, it more than made up for in thundering collisions. New French recruit, Louis Picamoles, led the visitors’ game from the front, carrying and tackling with vigour in a heavyweight clash with Billy Vunipola. Chris Ashton may be lucky to escape another ban as he appeared to bite an opposing player in the first period of a match not short of talking points. Alex Lozowski and Stephen Myler scored three penalties each to take the game level into half time.
If the first half was a Rogan, the start of the second went full-blown Vindaloo. A number of scuffles were breaking out all over the park, and Saints had their hosts rattled. Richard Wigglesworth needlessly shoulder barged Alex Waller from behind and gave away three points, and the lead, in the process. The tide then turned. Waller was the man who couldn’t hold his nerve. Substitute Jamie George smashed into a ruck, Waller then upturned the hooker and saw yellow, not before they had (aggressively) tried to kiss each other on the floor. Irony is a funny thing; Jamie George went over for a try to regain a lead they wouldn’t relinquish after he found himself in open space after the resulting line out. A penalty try and another penalty kick made the scoreline look flattering for the champs.
Luke Cowan-Dickie grabs hat-trick
Exeter got their first win of the season in an impressive performance over Harlequins, who still look some way off their best. After their worst results in the opening two fixtures since their arrival in the Premiership, head honcho Rob Baxter, alluded to this being their truest test of character yet. Their hooker, Luke Cowan-Dickie, was more than happy to show his boss how his own fortitude.
A slow opening saw the Londoners briefly take the lead as Tim Swiel kicked a couple of penalties in response to the home side’s full-back, Lachie Turner, going over the whitewash. From there, the contest was firmly in the hands of the hosts. They got another try through the same man, before the sublime Cowan-Dickie got his first of three. Rob Buchanan managed to pull one back for Quins, but Cowan-Dickie wasn’t done, crashing over for another to leave the score 29-13 at the interval.
He continued where he left off, getting another to leave an unassailable lead. Harlequins did manage to show something as Charlie Walker and captain Danny Care pulled them back to within two scores. A red card for Tomas Francis also left the Devonians in a spot of bother, but they saw a 36-25 bonus point victory lift them off the foot of the table.
Gloucester win their first game of the season
Friday night was alright for Greg Laidlaw’s Gloucester team. They snatched a 26-13 victory at Sale, which is never an easy place to go, to get their first win of the season, and briefly move them into the top 4. The captain got himself a respectable 16 points with his boot, to cap off a great evening for him. Sale, for their part, were nowhere near the standards they expect, as Steve Diamond was at pains to point out.
John Afoa and Charlie Sharples were the first half try scorers for the visitors, replying to a Sam James score. After the break, Laidlaw controlled proceedings with his perfect (16 from 16 this season) boot. Will Addison scored another try for the hosts, but it couldn’t prevent a West Country win.
Another West Country side will be quietly delighted with their start as well, picking up another bonus point in a 37-22 victory over Worcester, whilst the final day of action saw Wasps smash and batter Bristol 70-22 and Tigers edge out Newcastle at Kingston Park 14-13.
Blues are back, Ulster continue winning start
Cardiff proved their title credentials as they saw off fellow challengers Glasgow. The Welsh side dealt well with their toughest test yet as they kicked themselves to a nervy 23-19 victory having been outscored by 3 tries to 2. It had been a long time, waiting for a win against the Scots (10 games), but with it, they can now believe a title challenge is within the realms of possibility.
Home fly half, Gareth Anscombe, got the first points with a penalty inside the first few minutes. The Warriors then gave the same man another shot at goal, which he duly converted, in what was an indisciplined performance that would cost them the game. Halfway through the opening period, a rejuvenated Alex Cuthbert latched onto a well timed pass to extend the home side’s advantage to thirteen points without reply. Glasgow were not to lie down though, with Stuart Hogg and Peter Horne responding with converted tries almost immediately. The breathless first half was brought to a close with a second Blues try through Ray Lee-Lo, giving them a crucial lead. After the break, neither side was as clinical as they had been in the first, with defences holding firm for the most part. Glasgow did get a try through Ali Price, but it went unconverted and therefore failed to give the visitors the initiative. Cardiff saw the game out with a final penalty a couple of minutes from time.
Ulster condemned Scarlets to yet another defeat, which leaves them languishing in tenth in the table. The Welsh region are yet to even bag a losing bonus point, something which was taken from them with a last minute Iain Henderson try at the Kingspan Stadium. The hosts weren’t at their very best themselves, conceding 15 penalties and never fully breaking loose in attack, nonetheless, they will be pleased to be setting the pace in the league.
Scarlets failed to make the most of their chances, having gone pointless at the break. The Northern Irishmen had scored a couple of penalties through the cool and collected Paddy Jackson, as well as an unconverted try from Louis Ludik. The travelling team got in the game after the pause, kicking a penalty before creating an opportunity for a certain try, which was only stopped by a perfectly timed Charles Piutau interception. Jackson then got another penalty to maintain a comfortable lead before Will Boyde crossed for the Scarlets. Henderson had the last word and broke Scarlets hearts leaving the score at 19-8.
Edinburgh went down 33-20 at home to Leinster, Ospreys predictably hammered Treviso 64-10 and Munster ground out a 20-16 victory over the Dragons. Zebre will be gutted after having their match called off midway through due to bad weather, having been leading against reigning champions Connact.
New Zealand Seal Rugby Championship
Four games of the Rugby Championship, four wins, and the title already in the bag for the ABs. After relinquishing their title for the 2015 season in order to focus on successfully defending their Rugby World Cup title, the Kiwis made sure it was back in their hands with a comfortable victory over South Africa. A tight first half actually saw the Springboks take the lead, with Bryan Habana bagging his 66th try for his country in tests. Israel Dagg and Julian Savea grabbed a try apiece in reply to give the hosts a narrow lead going into the break. Normal service was resumed afterwards, however, as the Christchurch crowd was treated to a further 4 tries from their team, giving them a 41-13 lead. The fitness and focus levels for the whole 80 are what separates them and makes them worthy champions.
Fortunately, the battle for second place continues to excite. Australia seized the advantage going into the last couple of rounds as they beat a battling Pumas 36-20 in Perth. An opening 3-try blitz saw them open up a lead that the visitors could never fully recover from. Despite dominating possession and forcing the Wallabies into a multitude of tackles, they had just left themselves too much to do. A Facundo Isa try with ten minutes to go drew them within a couple of scores, but Bernard Foley kicked a penalty to keep them at arms length. The reverse fixture will see them play the first Rugby Championship game at Twickenham in a few weeks time.
Six home wins out of Seven in Top14
New boys, Lyon, shocked the illustrious Toulouse 25-20, and the former European heavyweights could be in something of a crisis, having lost three matches on the bounce. The hosts stormed to an early 19-3 lead, with a try from Napolioni Nalaga and numerous kicks from Freddie Michalak, a lead they never relinquished. Toulouse did show more panache later on, but not nearly enough to quell the fans’ worries.
Montpellier are going the opposite way to Toulouse. After their bad start, they have now won three on the bounce with a 21-9 victory in Bayonne. It wasn’t a very pretty game, with the only points coming from the boots of Demetri Catrakalis and Willie Du Plessis. Jake White will not be complaining, now looking at his side in the upper echelons of the league.
The other matches all saw home wins. Champions Racing Metro beat Toulon 41-30, Castres comfortably saw of bottom side Grenoble 46-9, Clermont remain the only unbeaten team as they saw off Bordeaux 40-16. Also, Brive edged out La Rochelle 29-28 and Pau got a win over Stade Francais.
Try of the weekend
A stunning try for Ospreys’ seventh of the day by young debutant Keelan Giles – check it out below, and we’ll try and find a better clip later.
Hero of the weekend
New Zealand. Streaks ahead of the opposition and having won their second major title in under a year, they deserve it as a team.
Villain of the weekend
A probable second ban in a year for Chris Ashton sees him as this week’s villain. Having controversial been banned for such a long time over border-line gouging earlier in 2016, he will surely be spending more time on the sidelines after tasting the flesh of Alex Waller.
Check it out below and let us know what you think:
Does Ashton bite Waller? pic.twitter.com/EbVYjFlOBH
— RugbyInsideLine (@RugbyInsideLine) September 17, 2016
I think, and yes I’m an Ash supporter, to describe that incident without mention of Alex Waller roughing him up (I’m not sure it is a bite as to me it seems that Waller put his arm in Chris’ face with Chris trying to move away before Waller again put his arm back in Ashs face.)
In fact to not mention Wallers continual thuggery (shove on Wigglesworth, the yellow card for dangerous tip tackle and general throwing weight around) is not only unfair but somewhat amiss.
I once had a player deliberately put his hand in my mouth in a game to try and rip my mouth. I gently applied pressure to let him know, not a full bite (my only option as I was pinned in a ruck) at which point the player complained to the ref. The refs answer was to ask him why his hand was in my mouth in the first place, which is probably what Greg Garner should have done here. However, Garner had long lost control of this game as he often does.
As a Saints fan i’m inclined to agree that there isn’t a lot in this incident
The bite if there was one was on the initial contact after which Waller shoves his arm into his face in an act of petty vengeance.
Whether there really was a bite or not it had the desired effect of getting Waller riled because FOLLOWING this incident he lost his head and committed “continual thuggery” until he was binned
I was ready to be disappointed by another brainless action from Ashton but I’m with Jez – if he did bite (and that is not for certain) then it was because Waller forced his fingers into Ashton’s mouth. On first viewing I actually thought it looked like reckless contact with the face.
I think that Saints, and I think that maybe Tigers will do the same, have decided the way to take on Sarries is through trying to out muscle them through means fair or foul.
If that is the case there is no place in the game and I for one hope the powers that be take a dim view of any coaches willing to set teams up to play this way.
I think you’re spot on with this prediction Jez and it’s a shame. Teams like Saints and Tigers are more than capable of playing good rugby (see Wasps last season at Allianz Park!!) but instead of attempting to do this are happier trying to rough us up and frustrate us in the hope of getting some kickable penalties or losing players through yellow cards.
Fortunately (or unfortunately for Saints) this backfired somewhat on Saturday resulting in two of their players getting more frustrated and being sent to the bin. Had they just stuck to playing the rugby they are capable of it may have been a closer scoreline at the end of the match.
As for the Ashton and Waller incident I think both should be punished. Waller was continuously attempting to wind players up starting with Ashton, then Wiggy and finally George. Maybe he did get bitten but as he stuck his arm in Ashton’s face but if so what did he expect? Probably to get Ashton binned? Not sure how he got away with a yellow for the incident with George though. Not only did he tip tackle him beyond the 90, but stuck a headbutt in for good measure. One or the other is worthy of a yellow, but both together should probably have been a red.
Nothing wrong with a physical approach to a game, so long as it doesn’t cross over into thuggery – although I’ll admit that it’s a fine line to tread
I think it’s the wrong approach to take though, simply because Sarries won’t be fazed by such a tactic. Last year’s European Cup games showed that they had overcome their problems playing against the big, physical French teams – and if teams like Racing or Toulouse can’t out-muscle Sarries, it’s rather unlikely Northampton or anyone else in the English premiership will be able to.
As for Waller and Ashton. – sanctions for both of them. It looks like Ashton bit him, but then Waller’s arm shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
Absolutely right Pablito. Don’t really know why Saints tried that approach? With the talent they have in the back line, maybe they should have tried to use Picamoles more and then run off him. I also think they need one more top ball carrier. Saying that I don’t think Dickson and Myler are a great combination for running rugby.
The one part of Ahston’s game which lets him down (apart from his tackling, although it has improved!). It looked as though Waller used a swinging arm but hard to tell in slo-mo. Either way both in the wrong but suspect no further action for Waller? Good job we have Maitland as back up!
I have to say, initially I did think they were looking at a swinging arm. After repeated watching though, the swinging arm would have been quite soft, and the bite (to me) looks quite obvious. I think Waller was the epitome of the Saints game for the first 55 minutes. He was thuggish, yes, but almost every incident was borderline.
Looking at each of his incidents individually, the swinging arm on Ashton was clumsy, but would have been soft.
The barge on Wiggleworth was coy, but that happens all the time and if that starts getting punished there will be nobody putting pressure on kicks. Wigglesworth was certainly not right to react like that though. It was only ever going to be a penalty against him.
The last one with George was well judged by the ref. George was clever in targeting a man on boiling point. He stupidly picked him up, and any further it would have been a red. The head butt, as much as it was obvious, George’s arm quite clearly pulled him towards him, so gave Waller a get out clause. Overall he was good value for a yellow and could have seen red.
Ashton, though, needed to be more intelligent. I certainly assume he will be found guilty. And, this would be his second ban for foul play in under a year. You have to keep your cool, especially in situations like that. You could argue the ‘What did Waller expect?’ line, but you can’t bite people. Leave the referee/citing commissioner to decide if he swang an arm. If you bite, you will be cited as well, and probably receive a longer ban. I guess, by the same token, Thomas Francis could have been given The Villain of The Week.
Agree with you on Ashton and the biting, but watch Wallers tackle on George at full speed and the headbutt is pretty blatant. George definitely didn’t pull Waller’s head in towards his own head at that speed.
The only losers in this situation really is Saints as ultimately it lost them the game. Sarries will lose Ashton for a while but it may well be what Ashton needs and, it means we get to see Wyles and Maitland together I would assume, so not really that much of a loss.
Nothing about Wasps? &0 points would normally warrant inclusion in any list of this type?
Geraint, you would certainly be entitled to that opinion, and I am more than willing to listen to whatever you want to be talked about. Any feedback is good. I just thought, without making the blog over-long, some matches have to be cut out. Unfortunately, this week that match felt like a predictable result, albeit slightly more one sided than many predicted, and could have turned into a long list of try-scorers. All matches certainly had their merits to be talked about, so if people would prefer a more even balance, instead of a focus on a few games and a quick summary of the others, I would be happy to listen to that.
I feel next week will be the week people sit up and take notice of Ulster.
Sorry a team as traditionally underachieving as Cardiff cannot yet be said ‘to be back’.
Cathal is quite right to say that next week will be an important barometer of where different teams stand….unless they are Connacht or the Scarlets as we know the answer to that one!
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with trying to get in Sarries’ faces to unsettle them. If you can get their players to focus on anything other than their job at that moment you have a chance to win. It’s called winning ugly and it’s what champions do – find a way to win.
No Wasps = boooo. 70 points. Eastmond debut. Simpson cipriani eastmond daly wade…
Cardiff have started well, but if they pick up a couple of injuries I think they’ll start to fall off the pace again. However they’ve already bagged three wins so they’re in a good place.
Ashton is looking at a ban. A long ban. Waller was doing something a little rough, but not anything exceptional, something that happens at every ruck at all levels. Ashton bit him. He may well be out until the clocks change, not the next time but the one after. Awful disciplinary record won’t help his cause.
Cardiff have beaten a poor Edinburgh and a poor Munster, and a good Glasgow at home.
Other teams near the top, Ospreys have beaten Connacht and both italian teams, while Ulster have beaten Scarlets, Dragons and Treviso.
Another couple weeks I reckon into the season before we can say who’s going to be challenging, but i doubt it’s going to be Cardiff.
Lot’s of talk of thuggery on here and without wishing to applaud that kind of thing I enjoyed Billy V throwing Dickson around after he tried to buy a penalty.
The replay I saw almost conclusively proved it was Waller inserting his arm into Ashton’s face (happening to concentrate liberally on Poor Ashton’s mouth area – all perfectly possible) bit of a storm in a tea cup really certainly by old school standards where it would have been considered a proud battle scar! Head-butting on the other hand is the incident I would have concentrated all my bile and angst on as it can have more serious ramifications. A bite…..I laugh in the face of…..(Monty Python)….your mother was a hamster and drank elderberry wine!”