Gallagher Premiership XV of the Week - Round 4
The highlight of the weekend’s action in the Gallagher Premiership was undoubtedly Worcester Warriors’ 44-37 victory over Leicester Tigers at Welford Road, as the side from the West Midlands responded well to Bristol Bears recording their second victory of the season 24 hours earlier.
Exeter Chiefs and Saracens kept up their perfect starts to the season, cementing themselves into their own tier at the top of the competition, whilst Wasps showed a significant improvement in their fortunes, recording a 31-13 victory over Sale Sharks at the AJ Bell.
We have rounded up the top performers from the weekend’s slate of games.
- Simon Hammersley, Newcastle Falcons
The full-back wasn’t just a danger on the counter-attack, he frequently popped up close to the ruck and in the midfield, bursting through any gaps the Exeter defence offered up. He contributed strongly to Newcastle’s best attacking moments in the game, despite Exeter’s tight five exerting a vice-like grip on the game and denying the Newcastle back line the platform they would have liked.
- Bryce Heem, Worcester Warriors
Heem was unlucky not to get among the try scorers at Welford Road, but that shouldn’t detract from a dominant outing on the right wing. Leicester struggled to contain Heem and though they won the territory and possession battles, it was Heem’s frequent forays with ball in hand that helped given Worcester the platform to score their six tries and record a memorable victory in the East Midlands.
- Elliot Daly, Wasps
Daly looked good back in his favoured position of outside centre, linking up well with the returning Willie le Roux and the outside threats of Josh Bassett and Christian Wade. His kicking from hand was impressive, too, as he pinned Sale back into their 22 with raking kicks to the corner, and his ability to put the afterburners on and burst through any gaps given to him kept defenders in two minds as they drifted outwards.
- Johnny Williams, Newcastle Falcons
A coming out performance for Williams in the black of Newcastle, as the former London Irish man shone offensively against the usually reliable defence of Exeter. A skilful offload out of the back of the hand sent Zach Kibirige away for the opening try of the game, before the centre chipped in with one of his own in the second half. He threatened as a carrier and a distributor.
An honourable mention, too, for Wasps’ Michael le Bourgeois, who tormented Sale on Saturday afternoon.
https://twitter.com/premrugby/status/1043575946274656257
- Josh Bassett, Wasps
Persistently unheralded in a back three that also boasts le Roux and Wade, yet consistently effective for Wasps. He was a threat out wide with his pace on Saturday, as well as ambitious in his bid for extra work, appearing often in the midfield. Kept the dangerous Denny Solomona well under wraps, too.
- Duncan Weir, Worcester Warriors
Any fly-half who can guide his team to victory at Welford Road deserves plenty of praise and that’s exactly what Weir did on Sunday afternoon. He clinically swooped with a couple of early tries, whilst contributing 12 points from the boot, as well as sending Jack Singleton through for his try.
Bristol Bears’ Ian Madigan also had a strong outing, albeit in vastly different conditions at a rainy Ashton Gate on Saturday.
- Richard Wigglesworth, Saracens
Even at the age of 35, Wigglesworth continues to impress among men 10 or even 15 years his junior. On the occasion of breaking the Premiership appearance record, Wigglesworth masterfully guided Saracens’ powerful pack around the field, played the territory game well and brought swift and accurate delivery from the contact area, allowing Saracens to a run at a tempo that Gloucester couldn’t live with.
- Nathan Catt, Bath
An old-school propping performance from an old-school prop, Catt was tailormade for the wet and wintry conditions at the Rec on Saturday. Didn’t tear up trees in the loose – although he was busy in the defensive line close to the fringes – but worked away at Ben Franks in the scrum and had plenty of joy against the Kiwi.
- Tommy Taylor, Wasps
A strong return to his old club for Taylor, who helped give Wasps the set-piece foundation they needed to take the game to Sale. His lineout throwing was accurate and he also contributed strongly with his tackling work, helping keep Sale’s carriers on or behind the gain-line.
Harry Thacker also impressed for Bristol and seems to be becoming more influential to them with each passing week. Bristol’s lineout was just not quite as effective as that of Wasps, though.
- Harry Williams, Exeter Chiefs
It was an old-school Exeter performance on Friday night, strangling and suffocating Newcastle through the power and efficiency of their tight five at the set-piece. Williams gave youngster Adam Brocklebank a stern examination of his scrummaging ability and the Newcastle loosehead will have learnt a lot, despite being on the back-foot for most of the evening.
- George Kruis, Saracens
It’s no surprise that Saracens’ best defensive performance of the young season comes on a day when Kruis stepped up to the plate. Carried physically when he had the opportunity to, but it was in defence that the lock really stood out, organising and leading the defensive line and excelling in the one-on-one tackle situations. Usual, effective, contribution at the lineout, too.
- Chris Vui, Bristol Bears
Nothing too flashy from Vui, but in the torrential conditions at Ashton Gate, the Samoan lock made the hard yards as a one-out runner and kept the lineout running relatively cleanly. Consistently impressed with clearing out at the breakdown, helping Bristol with their ball-security.
- Maro Itoje, Saracens
Itoje was like a wrecking ball at Allianz Park on Sunday, turning Gloucester over multiple times at the contact area and the lineout. In addition to being a defensive lightning rod, the blindside also stepped up with two tries, one from a rolling maul and the other as a result of a fortuitous bounce from a clever Owen Farrell kick.
Tom Curry was the standout man in Sale’s disappointing performance at home to Wasps, displaying his physicality in the tackle and denying, single-handedly at times, Wasps on the gain-line.
- Lewis Ludlam, Northampton Saints
A performance from the young Northampton flanker that showed he belongs at this level. Northampton were poor overall, and they didn’t deal with the conditions at the Rec well enough, but Ludlam impressed as a carrier. He coughed up a couple of turnovers which take the gloss off somewhat, but he was also busy in the defensive line and managed to muddy Bath ball on a number of occasions.
- Sam Simmonds, Exeter Chiefs
Not quite the free-flowing Simmonds we often see, but the No.8 took what he was given on Friday night. The tight five paved the way for him to pick up two tries at the back of the rolling maul, with the time he spent learning from Thomas Waldrom clearly paying off, and he took on more of a role close to the fringes, helping Exeter win the hard yards around the contact area in a tight contest with Newcastle.
Sione Kalamafoni deserves a mention, too, who looked like a one-man army at times on Sunday.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments