It’s as you were, then, after the latest batch of Guinness Premiership matches. Those anticipating a giant-killing or two were left disappointed on Sunday evening as the clubs at the top of the league extended their advantage, while those at the bottom are still none-the-wiser over who will be relegated.
The league’s bottom four teams: Newcastle, Sale, Leeds and Worcester, were all comfortably beaten by their opponents over the course of the weekend. All were desperate to seal some vital points, but it proved to be two days to forget for the Premiership’s underdogs.
The biggest hammering of the weekend was dished out by the previously out-of-sorts Saracens against a team in freefall, Newcastle Falcons. The Sarries, spearheaded by South African hooker Schalk Brits, ran riot at Vicarage Road on Sunday afternoon, scoring seven tries in total. The 58-15 scoreline plunged Newcastle deeper into the relegation mire, but their predicament could have looked a whole lot worse this morning had any of their fellow relegation-threatened sides picked up some points.
If Newcastle produced the most lacklustre performance of the weekend, then Sale Sharks produced the most toothless. Their 38-0 defeat away to London Irish on Sunday proved to anyone assuming the club are too good to go down at the end of this season that they’ve been sorely mistaken. Steffon Armitage grabbed two tries for Irish in the five-try rout at the Madejski Stadium. They now continue their push for the play-offs by advancing into the coveted fourth spot; but on the evidence of this latest performance, Sale will need to rely on their home form to ensure survival.
Leeds Carnegie have been superb in recent weeks. The differences between the Leeds of 2009 and the revitalised Leeds of 2010 could not have been more vast. However, the club’s three-match winning streak was brought to abrupt halt on Saturday by Gloucester fly-half Nicky Robinson. The Wales international scored the game’s only try and kicked a further 14 points to ensure the Cherry and Whites bounced back in style from their LV= Cup Final defeat a week earlier. Leeds failed to kick a single point over the course of the 80 minutes, and their loyal supporters will be hoping this doesn’t mark the end of their revival bid.
Elsewhere, in the least surprising result of the season, reigning champions Leicester Tigers dispatched Worcester Warriors in their own back yard with consummate ease. England fly-half Toby Flood was at his imperious best on his Leicester return – kicking 24 points in the visitor’s 39-18 victory. Three tries to Worcester’s none was an accurate reflection of the game, as Leicester ensured that they ended the weekend with their two-point lead over Northampton intact.
Saints managed to keep the pressure up on Leicester, though, with a hard-fought win over London Wasps at Franklin’s Gardens. Fresh from their triumphant LV= Cup Final, Jim Mallinder’s side held on for a narrow 14-9 victory to keep themselves firmly in the hunt for the Premiership’s top spot. Roger Wilson was the only man to cross the line – on the stroke of half time – but it was Stephen Myler’s drop goal and penalty in the final 10 minutes which sealed the points for Northampton and dropped Wasps back down to fifth.
That defeat also means that Bath are now breathing ominously down Wasps’ neck following their 24-13 victory against Harlequins on Saturday. Two points behind the 2008 Premiership champions with a game in hand could see them develop into unlikely candidates for a place in the top four. And this result has also given Quins one or two things to think about with only several matches of the season remaining. Although they look relatively comfortable in eighth place, it will just take a couple of weekends to plunge them deep into relegation trouble.
Following last year’s Bloodgate scandal, there would be few tears shed if the unimaginable did happen and Quins were relegated; but they remain strong outsiders for the drop. The likelihood is that one of the current bottom four will find themselves in the RFU Championship next season, instead.
A bumper pack of fixtures will take place this weekend with some mouth-watering ties on the agenda. Perhaps then we’ll get a clearer picture of how this most unpredictable of unpredictable campaigns will eventually pan out.
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