Bath make statement:
The game was close for the first 30 minutes until a clever Ben Spencer try gave the hosts a 21-10 lead at half time. Bath were able to keep a distance between themselves and the Saints on the scoreboard for the entire second half, with Northampton just hanging on for as long as possible. A late sin bin for debutant Josh Kemeny basically ended the Saints' chance in this match. Although, things may have been different if Ramm had been able to successfully ground a cross-field kick from Fin Smith in the 48th minute when down 21-10. Bath played well all game but there were two notable performances; Will Butt played at 12 due to injuries to Ojomoh and Redpath and made a big impact on the game but the man of the match was the scrum-half, Ben Spencer, who controlled the game brilliantly and scored a try as well. Beating last season's champions who bested them at Twickenham a few months ago is a statement but to beat them by that scoreline sets down a marker to the rest of the league.
Falcons Frustration:
The wait for a premiership goes on for Newcastle who defended valiantly for much of that game. But that was almost everything they did. Bristol dominated and would have been annoyed by only being 5-3 up at half time. In the second half, it was only a matter of time before the Bears took an opportunity or two. In the end they took 3 to create a final score of 24-3 and a Bears bonus point. Newcastle's frustration will be caused by the fact that they were in this game for a long time and could not take the initiative to attack and build a score. Having said that, there are reasons to be positive, Bristol are an excellent attacking team and the Falcons kept them at bay for a long time. This result is also much better for the Falcons than their last fixture against the Bears in which they lost 85-14 at Ashton Gate. The building blocks are there for Newcastle but many of the same problems remain.
Harlequins rue missed opportunities
12-11 was the final score at the Salford Community stadium. 4 George Ford penalties were enough for Sale to claim victory. Quins will have many regrets about how that game was managed and about their level of execution throughout. However, there is no doubt about the biggest talking point from the match- was the ball grounded? Those in charge decided against awarding a try to Harlequins but many strongly disagreed with the decision. The Londoners may feel hard-done-bye with that decision but it was a generally frustrating trip up North and one that got away from them in many ways. The field general abilities of George Ford were on full display and ultimately proved to be crucial in the outcome of this match.
Cheika makes immediate impact
The Tigers left it late to beat the Chiefs in the 82nd minute. Jamie Shillcock's drop goal at the end of the first half proved to be the difference between the two sides. There was one standout element of the game- the physicality. Cheika seems to have instilled a new aggressive form of defence into the Tigers. This was typified by Freddie Steward's hit on Hawkins and continued across the pitch. Exeter will be disappointed to lose given that they were up 14-3 after an hour of play but Leicester were simply too physical and able to muscle over the line with the clock in the red.
Saracens can still play
The title sums it up, really. Saracens quickly silenced Kingsholm, jumping out to a 17-0 lead. A lovely kick by Elliot Daly wascwell finished by Segun and an Ivan Van Zyl interception which he ran to the try line made the difference early on. Gloucester responded at the end of the first half to make it 17-7 at the break but could never quite put Saracens under serious pressure in the second half leading to a final score of 35-26 with Gloucester gaining one bonus point and Sarries coming away with all 5 that they would've been hoping for. This game showed that, despite the losses this summer, Saracens are still a force to be reckoned with in the Gallagher Premiership.
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