Last week’s post-Christmas block of fixtures took us beyond the halfway point in this season’s Gallagher Premiership and a number of the round nine results have certainly whetted the appetite as English ruby welcomes in the new year.
Super Rugby Aupiki always throws up a bundle of new names to watch, including more flankers and speed merchants. In 2025 there must be a focus on finding the best front rowers to win a seventh World Cup title.
For a man of that size, you imagine every pre-season is a tortuous existence but it sounds like the recent months preparing with the Chiefs have been right up the giant row’s street.
England flew out of South Africa last Saturday evening to Heathrow as the rightful champions, the consistency of their potent scrum and manipulative defence helping them to a deserved first title since 2016.
It was the French who caught the eye in round one with six of their eight teams winning, including Stade Rochelais and Toulon away from home.
Bath’s impressive start to the season continued with a hard-earned 20-15 victory over Leicester in an error-ridden game.
The Irish kept alive their hopes of securing a third successive Six Nations age-grade title by scoring a clock-in-the-red try to draw 32-all with title rivals England last Friday at The Rec.
Ollie Hassell-Collins and Ben Loader both scored hat-tricks as London Irish produced a breathtaking first-half.
Injuries at out-half have thrust teenager Orlando Bailey into the Bath limelight in recent weeks ahead of Danny Cipriani's scheduled arrival.
It was November 21 when Danny Cipriani last played for Gloucester and he will end his Premiership sabbatical when he arrives at Bath in May.