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Gallagher Premiership XV of the Week - Round 10

By Alex Shaw
Jonah Holmes of Leicester Tigers dives over to score the first try during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Leicester Tigers and Harlequins at Welford Road Stadium. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

The Gallagher Premiership’s final offering before Christmas brought some much-needed festive cheer to fans of certain clubs.

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Exeter Chiefs returned to the top of the table by beating Saracens, ending the reigning champions unbeaten run, which stretched all the way back to April. Elsewhere, in the league’s most compelling relegation battle for years, Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks picked up valuable home wins, whilst Northampton Saints were able to do the same on the road.

We have selected the pick of this week’s performers, but do you agree with our calls?

(* denotes RugbyPass Index score)

15. Joe Simmonds, Exeter Chiefs (76)

Simmonds is thriving in his new role at full-back, bringing the ability to link play in the wider channels and operate as a second playmaker when joining the back line, just as Willie le Roux does for Wasps. His kicking game was also vital on Saturday afternoon, as territory was pivotal against Saracens, with their defence still bringing its suffocating line-speed. The tactical flexibility that Simmonds brought to the mix for Exeter was key at Sandy Park.

14. Jonah Holmes, Leicester Tigers (70)

The Wales international grabbed two tries at Welford Road and was pivotal in Leicester securing a much-needed win. The first came as he tracked the ball in midfield and popped up outside George Ford on a borderline undefendable delayed line, whilst the second was due to his work rate in support of Tatafu Polota-Nau’s break, outsprinting all of Harlequins’ scramble defence and finishing off the try.

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13. Sam James, Sale Sharks (65)

A fine ball-handling performance from James in wet conditions at the AJ Bell. His catching, passing and offloading work was excellent on Saturday afternoon and he was also able to find some holes in the Bristol defence with a neat kicking game. James was strong, too, in defence, helping shut down Bristol and prevent them getting the ball into the hands of their dangerous back three in space.

12. Tom Hudson, Gloucester (64)

Hudson had some effective touches for Gloucester and ran a nice array of lines in a new role, away from the back three where he has more frequently featured for the Cherry and Whites in recent times. Despite a powerful carrier like Vereniki Goneva prowling around the midfield and targeting disconnects and weak inside shoulders, Hudson dealt well with everything Newcastle tried to throw down his channel.

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11. Vereniki Goneva, Newcastle Falcons (66)

The Fijian wing took his try well at Kingston Park on Sunday and, perhaps even more impressively, helped keep in-form opposite number Ollie Thorley quiet. Goneva popped up in midfield on multiple occasions, bring powerful incision whenever he tracked the ball and spotted gaps in the defence. Furthermore, his ability to stay on his feet, free his arms and get offloads away allowed Newcastle to keep phases alive and stretch Gloucester.

10. George Ford, Leicester Tigers (72)

Fierce competition from both Dan Biggar and Rob du Preez, who enjoyed good games with Northampton and Sale respectively, but Ford just edges ahead with another silky-smooth performance for Leicester. He has been a shining light this season in a side that has struggled to reach its potential and he continued to orchestrate things on Saturday afternoon, pulling the strings of those around him, including a nice assist on a pullback pass for Holmes’ first score.

9. Cobus Reinach, Northampton Saints (66)

Reinach’s excellent form this season continued on Friday night, as he brought tempo, incision and opportunism to Northampton’s attack. His intercept try gave Saints a commanding position in the game, but it was his directing of his side offensively that allowed Saints to control both the possession and territory battles to the point where Worcester were able to offer up very little to challenge the visitors at Sixways.

1. Callum Black, Worcester Warriors (73)

Ellis Genge showed up well for Leicester at home to Quins but there was no scrummaging performance this weekend at loosehead that matched up to the job Black was able to do on Paul Hill and Northampton. The prop had his way at the set-piece and though it wasn’t enough to secure four much-needed points for Worcester, as an individual performance, it is well worthy of mention here.

2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, Exeter Chiefs (88)

Perfection in the lineout from Cowan-Dickie, who gratefully took his opportunity to impress against his England rival. His trademark physicality with the ball in hand and in defence was also on show, but it was his besting of Jamie George at the lineout that will likely have drawn the attention of Eddie Jones. If that part of his game continues to look as sharp as it did on Saturday, there’s no reason why he can’t be in the mix with George and Dylan Hartley moving forward.

3. Henry Thomas, Bath (62)

Along with Nathan Catt, Thomas put in an efficient and strong scrummaging performance against Wasps. He carried well, too, over the course of the game, invariably finding a metre or two whenever he got his hands on the ball, as well as linking play with some neat passes on or near the gain-line. The platform he provided at the set-piece and in the loose helped Freddie Burns have an effective showing himself.

4. Sam Skinner, Exeter Chiefs (88)

Just as Cowan-Dickie did, Skinner contributed significantly to both the physical and set-piece battles that Exeter won against Saracens on Saturday afternoon. He put down a marker against both George Kruis and Nick Isiekwe, and showed England what they will miss, with the lock having now committed his international future to Scotland.

5. Courtney Lawes, Northampton Saints (78)

An all-action performance from the lock, who, along with Teimana Harrison, was the main source of positive carrying in the Northampton pack. He was efficient at the lineout, too, as well as helping to disrupt Worcester’s unit, which struggled all game to successfully connect with its jumpers.

6. Alex Dombrandt, Harlequins (63)

Quins’ away struggles continue, but on a day when Leicester outmuscled them and won the physical battle at the contact area and on the gain-line, Dombrandt bucked the trend. The flanker maintained his impressive recent form and hurt Leicester as both a ball-carrier and a tackler, rarely allowing Tigers carriers any sort of front-foot ball. His late try was well-deserved for a strong 80-minute shift.

7. Tom Curry, Sale Sharks (64)

The England flanker looked good on his first start since injury ruled him out of the November internationals and was a constant thorn in Bristol’s side at the breakdown. Once he was in over the ball, he proved incredibly hard to move and though he didn’t come away with a glut of turnovers, he prospered slowing down and disrupting the quick ball that Bristol usually thrive on offensively.

8. Matt Kvesic, Exeter Chiefs (88)

Exeter’s game against Saracens was far from a classic, but the Chiefs made it into a backyard brawl that suited them and Kvesic was a big part of that. He excelled at the contact area, as he so often does, but also brought a physicality in the tackle that Saracens, unusually for them, just couldn’t match. He punched holes around the fringes and softened up the Saracens fringe defence, rather than going wide too quickly and playing into the hands of their line-speed and blitz in the midfield.

Watch: London Irish are set to leave their long-term Reading home and move to Brentford’s new stadium in west London.

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J
Jon 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

32 Go to comments
A
Adrian 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

32 Go to comments
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