Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. Fortunately for us the Aviva Premiership is still in full flow and some key battles happened over the Christmas period, here is the wrap up from Round 11.
Northampton 24-5 Sale
Franklin’s Gardens hosted the first game of the festive period as Northampton beat Sale. Without the suspended Dylan Hartley and George North not being risked following his much talked about concussion, Sale would have hoped to continue Northampton’s home woes but after Ben Foden’s fourth minute try, that never looked likely.
Tom Wood added to that score in the 29th minute with Stephen Myler converting both and adding a penalty in the second half before Sale finally got on the scoreboard with a first try in Sale colours for controversial league convert Denny Solomona in the 66th minute.
That was as good as it got for Sale who appeared to have put a lot into their two European clashes against Saracens and Luther Burrell added a gloss to the score line in the 80th minute.
Saracens 21-6 Newcastle
An entertaining game at Allianz Park saw the try-scoring return of England winger Chris Ashton after his 13-week suspension for biting. He was introduced as a second half substitute and scored in the 76th minute to end the scoring and any lingering hopes of a late Newcastle fightback.
Both teams tried to play expansive attacking rugby but could not make the most of their chances. A very impressive forward performance from the Falcons saw them get the upper hand on their much vaulted opponents for whom the Vunipola brothers were rested and the Schalks Brits and Burger started on the bench.
Joel Hogdson opened the scoring from the tee in the fourth minute which was immediately cancelled out by Owen Farrell from the restart. The Falcons then regained the lead in the 12th minute through Hodgson’s boot once again before Marcelo Bosch scored the first try of the game with Farrell adding the conversion and a penalty.
It stayed 13-6 until the 70th minute when Farrell kicked his third penalty of the day before Ashton made sure.
Wasps 40-26 Bath
Wasps completed 2016 unbeaten at the Ricoh Arena as Bath became their 18th straight victim. The result also puts a little bit of daylight between the two teams in second and third place respectively.
Both teams got the attacking bonus point with Christian Wade scoring a hat-trick. In all, there were 20 points from Jimmy Gopperth – who passed 1,000 premiership points in the process. Gopperth along with Thomas Young were the other scorers for Wasps whereas Bath shared the tries around with hooker Ross Batty, Dave Atwood, Tom Ellis and Ben Tapuai crossing the line and George Ford kicking three conversions.
Wasps raced out of the blocks and Wade had crossed twice in the first 15 minutes to give them an early 14-0 lead. Batty and Atwood then replied with a Gopperth penalty sandwiched in between to make the score line 17-14 before Young scored right on half time to make the score 24-14.
Wade completed his hat-trick seven minutes into the second half. Bath’s ill-discipline cancelled out the good work for Ellis’ try as Gopperth added three more penalties before Tapuai’s final try. This win puts Wasps six points clear of Bath and level on points with Saracens at the top of the table.
Exeter 31-10 Leicester
Exeter’s resurgence continues as they put Leicester to the sword at Sandy Park and leapfrogged them into the top four in the process. The game was over by half time as a sold out crowd were treated to an Exeter team brimming with confidence.
They lead 21-0 at the break with Leicester having no answer to the home side’s pace and power. Thomas Waldrom collected yet another brace and a deliberate offside lead to a yellow card and a penalty try. All three were converted by Gareth Steenson.
Leicester, who had rested the Youngs brothers and had Dan Cole on the bench, a decision that made a number of people scratch their heads with puzzlement considering the importance of the game, finally got on the board when Harry Thacker got on the end of a driving maul from a lineout.
Ollie Devoto then got the Chiefs a bonus-point try in the 66th minute as Steenson completed a good day from the tee with his four conversions. The Tigers had the final say as Jono Kitto scored a couple of minutes later, but they were well beaten.
Bristol 28-20 Worcester
It has finally happened! Bristol recorded their first win of the season at the 11th attempt and in the process stopped Worcester getting anything. A Tom Varndell hat trick has given Bristol renewed hope of their future in the division and all this despite Tusi Pisi seeing red after 13 minutes for a dangerous tackle.
Varndell’s tries in the 10th 25th and 67th minutes respectively now put him one behind Mark Cueto in the all-time try scorers in the Aviva Premiership. The home side led 10-3 after ten minutes but fell 13-10 behind after Darren Berry scored and Chris Pennell’s conversion and with a man down they could have been forgiven for fearing the worst.
They didn’t let that phase them though and Varndell wrestled the lead back after his second try and Jason Woodward increased it with his second penalty of the game.
A third Woodward penalty gave the bottom placed side some breathing room until, two minutes later. Worcester bought themselves right back into the game with a try through winger Dean Hammond which was converted, cutting the lead to one.
All that was left was for Varndell to complete his hat-trick with Woodward adding the extras to send the big crowd home happy and believing again.
Harlequins 28-24 Gloucester
Harlequins held off a strong finishing Gloucester to round off the Christmas fixtures at Twickenham. Leading 28-10 after 60 minutes thanks to a Joe Merchant double and Jack Clifford tries with Ruariadh Jackson adding two conversion and three penalties Quins nearly let it slip to the Cherry and Whites.
A Greg Laidlaw penalty was all they had to show for their first half efforts with No.8 Gareth Evans scoring shortly after half time. James Hook and Motu Matu’u both scored converted tries in the final 15 minutes to give the majority of the 77,000 strong crowd a nervous finish but the Quins just held on.
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