Wasps secure play-off place, Sarries seal home semi-final
Christian Wade scored a try in each half as Wasps sealed a Premiership play-off spot with a 36-29 defeat of spirited Northampton Saints, and Saracens hammered relegated London Irish to seal a home semi-final.
There were reports of a player mutiny at Wasps this week, but Dai Young’s men put on a united front to secure a victory which guaranteed them a top-four finish with one game of the regular season to spare and leaves Leicester Tigers’ chances hanging by a thread.
Last year’s runners-up are up to third and lead fourth-placed Newcastle Falcons – who they play at Kingston Park next weekend – by three points after scoring four tries in an entertaining contest at the Ricoh Arena, where Northampton pushed them all the way.
Clinical wing Wade scampered over to put Wasps in front and Elliot Daly finished off a fluent move either side of five pointers from Teimana Harrison and Api Ratuniyarawa at the other end.
Eleven points from the boot of Jimmy Gopperth and seven for Stephen Myler made it 21-17 to Wasps at the break, but Wade was on hand to finish in the corner for a second time and a Juan de Jongh try gave the home side breathing space.
Northampton were not finished yet, Alex Mitchell and Ahsee Tuala crossing in quick succession, but Gopperth added another penalty as Wasps held on to book a place in the last four.
Congratulations to @Wasps on booking their place in the #AvivaPrem semi-finals with victory over Northampton Saints today ???
Can they get back to Twickenham for the second year running? pic.twitter.com/VfLhbUyoBD
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) April 29, 2018
Sarries will finish second behind Exeter Chiefs after rubbing salt into London Irish’s wounds with a brutal 51-14 seven-try thumping at the Madejski Stadium.
Worcester Warriors secured their top-flight status on Saturday to send the Exiles straight back down and Sarries showed no mercy to the Championship-bound side, Brad Barritt and Alex Goode among the try-scorers and Owen Farrell scoring 16 points from the tee.
Comments on RugbyPass
This game was always going to be close, Canada have such a dominant pack and the Black Ferns have come unstuck in that area against teams like France and England in the past.
2 Go to commentsA distinct discomfort with the officiating they were probably selected from the local IRA narcos branch along with the commentators bloody fly tippers.
1 Go to commentsWow, never thought I would read that
2 Go to commentsExcellent match. Great to see Keenan and Ryan back for Leinster. Super result for Ulster. Season is turning around.
1 Go to comments“We need eight or nine new players, who are hard-wearing and durable and experienced Premiership performers”. So why are they scouting a retired fullback who himself admits that his “body is broken”?
1 Go to commentsBrumbies hand, knocked a Crusaders hand. Therefore, knock on in goal. Crusaders, goal line drop out should’ve been awarded. most likely after that 24 each at full time, so extra time would’ve been the right an entertaining outcome. Act Jim
1 Go to commentsSpeell cehck
1 Go to commentsColeman is gaawwwwnnn.
1 Go to commentsnext SA head coach?
3 Go to commentsGreat try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
8 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
8 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
5 Go to comments