Premiership Round 8 review

Bath (lost 16-9 to London Welsh)
The West Country side seemed to have found a new edge recently and on form they should have beaten the new boys but rugby is a funny game when you don’t commit to the cause.
They were put under pressure against a desperate London Welsh side who had to win following Sale’s success on Friday.
It’s a case of one step forward, two (maybe three) back for Bath and the video session today won’t be enjoyable.
They missed out on a very good opportunity to put on the pressure on the Top Four and in a league as close as the Premiership they might not have another one.
Exeter (beat Worcester 33-9)
A much needed win after three consecutive defeats. They’ll be lamenting a try-bonus point they had in their sight but couldn’t take their chances well enough when it mattered.
Most importantly though, they went back to winning ways and remain in the race for a Top Six finish before the LV Cup two-week break.
They are still the only unbeaten side at home this season but if only they could carry their form away from Sandy Park, a Top Four finish would definitely be on the cards.
Gloucester (lost 28-25 to Harlequins)
Gloucester said they’d know what they would be able to play for after their games against Leicester and Harlequins.
They conceded their first loss in nine match but, after beating the Tigers and running the champions to the wire, a top four finish has to be a realistic target.
Freddie Burns is the best fly-half in the Premiership this season and his call with England is truly deserved.
There’s still a lot more to come from this side and it can only be a good thing for the Premiership.

Harlequins (beat Gloucester 28-25)
Conor O’Shea told us before the game that his side was comfortable with the way their we playing and it showed on Saturday.
The Champions are top of the table before this mini-break and they proved it’s easier to win games when you score tries.
They are great to watch and despite missing some key players, the replacements managed to put on a good performance against a Gloucester side in very good form.
Leicester (beat Northampton 16-12)
The Tigers are back in the Top Four with that derby win but it was far from the standards set in recent encounters. With a host of internationals missing, they clearly lacked the skills needed to make the difference in this kind of games.
But one thing that couldn’t be faulted was their physicality up front and their defence. This was brutal and as often Leicester came on top.
George Ford’s display was also a talking point with the talented youngster looking for a rhythm all game. Spending the last three games on the bench without actually getting any game time has maybe taken its toll.
London Irish (lost 21-9 to Sale)
The Exiles were in good form for the last four weeks but faced a desperate side in the Sharks.
They couldn’t get the upper hand up front to give themselves a realistic chance. Worse, they even see their opponents come back within four points in the table and despite their obvious potential, they now have to look behind their shoulders.
They shouldn’t battle for relegation but the fact and the matter is they will be if they don’t start winning more games.

London Wasps (lost 29-24 to Saracens)
The men in black (who were playing in blue yesterday) have made a name for themselves as the most lethal team in the league out wide with Christian Wade and Tom Varndell.
The latter proved his abilities to finish with a well taken try, his seventh of the campaign, but, against the best defence in the league, the opportunities were very rare.
They put on a good fight with a solid lineout and great ball carrying in attack especially by No.8 Billy Vunipola who is growing week after week as one os the best in the league.
Their blitz defence stopped Sarries’ momemtum but their penalty count proved costly against Charlie Hodgson’s boot.
London Welsh (beat Bath 16-9)
Sale’s win on Friday put a huge pressure on the newcomers but they rose up to it to get another famous scalp. They know it will be a long season and three wins in eight games is a more than honourable record.
They showed once again that if you don’t take them seriously and, if given a sniff to clinch it they will.
They can now enjoy the LV Cup break with an eight points cushion from the bottom of the table and, with a win or two before Christmas, they could create a big surprise and actually stay up.
Northampton (lost 16-12 to Leicester)
They started well but couldn’t get the upper hand in the battle of the forwards to be able to create any good opportunity of scoring.
They had to concede their third loss on the bounce in the Premiership (their fourth in five games if we include the Heineken Cup) and have slipped out of the Top Four after their five game unbeaten at the start of the season.
The absence of their inspirational captain Dylan Hartley is a big blow and they’ll need him fit if they want to be anywhere near the play-offs in May.
Sale (beat London Irish 21-9)
Finally! Eight games in and the Great North Clubs get their first win of the season. After all the shambles behind the scenes early last week, the players managed to put a good performance and come out with the goods.
It might not have been pretty but a win was all they needed at this stage of their campaign. Rugby is won by the forwards and their aggressivity in the breakdown proved the difference.
They hopefully got the monkey off their back on and we can now really enjoy the Sale Sharks we were promised at the start of the season.
Saracens (beat London Wasps 29-24)
Without their second distributor in the back line (ie. Owen Farrell or Alex Goode), their attack lacked creativity and struggled to find any gaps in the Wasps defence.
Their power up front did the job well however and they were patient for an hour before controlling the breakdown and scrum to take it away and get the goods.
They miss out on the top spot by one digit in the points difference but it’s hard to see them missing out on the play-offs this season. They are one tough nut to crack with less than 14 points conceded a game so far.
Worcester (lost 33-9 to Exeter)
After three consecutive wins, the Warriors had the tough task to face the Chiefs at Sandy Park and against a side desperate to win they never had a chance.
They found themselves 19-0 down after 25 minutes, a way too big deficit against a side the quality of Exeter.
Their goal is to be clear of the relegation battle but, just like London Irish, they will have to win more game if they want to do so.
NICK VERDIER