Northampton Saints
Bath second row Dominic Day admits that it is win at all costs when they welcome West Country rivals Gloucester to the Rec on Friday. Day and co will be itching to return to winning ways after their run of six straight victories in all competitions came to an end with their narrow 23-25 defeat at Northampton Saints.
Harlequins, Clermont Auvergne, Ulster and Toulon have all qualified for the quarterfinals of the European Cup, but who will join them in the last eight?
Unbeaten English champions Harlequins are the only ones so far guaranteed home advantage in the quarterfinals, so with plenty to play for in Round Six here is the state of the Pools going into the final weekend of group games.
Undefeated Harlequins and Clermont can book European Cup quarterfinals this weekend with Toulon also close to securing their spot in the last eight. English champions Harlequins, bidding to make the knock-out stages for just the fifth time, already have 19 points from four Pool Three wins and on Saturday tackle Connacht where just a losing bonus point will be enough to see them through.
Today we had 2 Aviva Premiership games on TV, and we had this Live Game Article… but with a difference.
We were more casual, giving updates whilst talking nonsense inbetween.
How’s that for a nice mix?
A bit late sorry but we take a look at an interesting weekend’s action in the Heineken Cup. This weekend saw some very close games as well as a few run away wins and perhaps most significantly saw Ulster lose their first competitive match of the season in one of the weekend’s close affairs.
Table-topping Harlequins will look to return to winning ways when they welcome Worcester Warriors to Twickenham Stoop in the opening Round 10 fixture on Friday.
England pair Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes are doubts for the November Tests after suffering knee injuries in Northampton’s defeat by Saracens.
After two emphatic European victories Worcestor Warriors will be keen to give their home crowd something to cheer about in the Premiership against Sale Sharks on Friday.
This weekend saw an action packed start to the Heineken Cup. All twenty four teams were involved in the round which started on Friday and ended on Sunday.
Wing Mark Cueto admits it is easy for Sale Sharks to get bogged down with the negatives of their start to the Premiership season, but he insists only a positive frame of mind will bring a change of fortune.
It is the fifth round of Premiership action this weekend and it sees Saracens make the trip across London to Harlequins to face the reigning champions at The Stoop.
Champions Harlequins will be out to extend their unbeaten start to the English Premiership when they take on Sale Sharks this weekend. Quins currently head the standings after two rounds, but with five teams still unbeaten there is plenty of pressure to continue their winning ways.
Former Blue Bulls, and now Northampton Saints, number eight Gerrit-Jan van Velze has been handed a four weeks ban for a ‘tip tackle’ having been cited after Northampton’s game against Exeter Chiefs last weekend.
The second round of the 2012/2013 season’s Aviva Premiership was completed this weekend. In the first match of the weekend London Welsh were comprehensively beaten by Harlequins, who scored six tries to none. In the last game, which was played on Sunday, Northampton Saints managed to scrape through against a brave Exeter Chiefs outfit.
The second round of Aviva Premiership games take places this weekend and while it may only be Round Two, Saracens have laid down an early marker in the 2012/13 Premiership season.
Various pre-season friendly matches have taken place this weekend, ahead of the start of the Aviva Premiership and RaboDirect Pro12 competitions. Furthemore, there has been news of player injuries as well as some player transfer news.
Northampton Saints have announced that twenty five year old hooker Brett Sharman, has left the club.
Wallabies and Western Force fullback and wing Cameron Shepherd has agreed to join Aviva Premiership Rugby club Northampton Saints.
This weekend saw the semi finals of the two competitions being played. The final scores were fairly close in all but one of the matches.
The Aviva Premiership ‘dream team’ for the season 2011/2012 has recently been announced. On Tuesday evening, in London, various awards for this season were handed out with the accolade for player of the season going to Harlequins, and England, captain, Chris Robshaw.
Last night the ruling in the Calum Clark hearing made, with the Northampton Saints loose forward being suspended from the game for 32 weeks. He will only play again in November.
Vodacom Blue Bulls No 8, Gerrit-Jan Van Velze, has signed to play for the Northampton Saint’s.
It is Heineken Cup time and today 3 games were broadcast live on TV in SA.
They are:
- Montpellier vs Leinster
- Ulster Rugby vs Asm Clemont Auvergne
- Munster vs Northampton Saints
This was the general discussion thread for these 3 Games.
Blue Bulls 38 / 15 Pumas (Final Score)
Scores:
Blue Bulls:
- Tries : John Mametsa (2), Stefan Watermeyer, Dean Greyling, Stephan Dippenaar, Deon Stegman
- Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (3), Francois Brummer
Pumas:
- Penalty: Ricardo Croy
- Tries: Tian Meyer, Alistair Kettledas
- Conversion: Ricardo Croy
Leopards 13 / 43 Lions (Final Score)
Scores:
Platinum Leopards:
- Tries: Deon Scholtz, Wilhelm Koch
- Penalty: Cecil Dumond
Xerox Lions:
- Tries: Jano Vermaak (2), Marius Delport, Waylon Murray, Jaco Taute
- Conversions: Herkie Kruger (3)
- Penalties: Kruger (4)