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Weekend Round-Up: Five of the best from the Top 14 and Aviva Premiership

Castres Olympique hooker Marc-Antoine Rallier ran 65m to score this try. Really

High-tension, high-scoring, all-action games from the Top 14 and Aviva Premiership to watch while you wait impatiently for the next round of the Six Nations and/or the start of the Super Rugby season.

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Aviva Premiership: Worcester Warriors vs Exeter Chiefs
Full Game | Condensed
There’s something about Exeter. A week after they were involved in a 70-point 10-try thriller at Sandy Park, they headed to Sixways – this time for an 11-try, 80-point extravaganza. Three of the visitors seven tries came in 10 minutes early in the second half, while Warriors’ Alafoti Faosiliva was in the sin-bin for a clumsy off-the-ball tackle. Despite that setback, the hosts – 11th in the table and desperate to put clear water between themselves and basement club Bristol – kept up the fight until the final whistle, managing a vital try-scoring bonus of their own at the death.

Top 14: Clermont v Bayonne
Full Game | Condensed
Clermont are used to being in the mix for top spot in the Top 14, but the pressure this season is coming from an unlikely source. Having seen La Rochelle beat Stade Francais the previous evening, Franck Azema’s men knew only a bonus-point win over bottom-of-the-table Bayonne would be good enough to take them back to the head of the table. What followed at Stade Marcel Michelin involved nine tries, three of them coming in the last five minutes – and the matter of the hosts’ bonus point still very much in the balance after the hooter sounded.

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Top 14: Pau vs Grenoble
Full Game | Condensed
Pau were looking for their sixth Top 14 win in a row to consolidate their place in the all-important top six. Grenoble, for whom the Six Nations break could not have come at a worse time, were looking to build on a domestic improvement as their Irish head coach plots an unlikely great escape from the relegation zone. After Pau’s Colin Slade had opened the scoring with a 40-yard drop goal, the visitors drew first try-scoring blood. The two sides continued to duke it out all game, as lowly Grenoble refused to give up, and the result was far from a foregone conclusion until the closing minutes.

Top 14: Bordeaux vs Castres Olympique
Full Game | Condensed
What do you get when a side that has not won a match at home for three months entertains one that has only won once on the road this season? You get this tense, all-action affair which takes on extra importance as the business-end of the Top 14 season looms closer. Results elsewhere in France this weekend meant that this was a must-win game for both teams, who have ambitions of the play-offs and a place in next season’s Champions League. At the end of the 80 minutes, one of them has seen itself cast adrift of the all-important top six places, while the other leapt up the table to – for a while at least – third.

Aviva Premiership: Newcastle Falcons vs Northampton Saints
Full Game | Condensed
Kingston Park descended into an early silence as notorious slow starters Northampton fairly exploded out of the blocks and raced in two tries in the opening six minutes. While that would have been enough to see other sides roll over and die, Dean Richards’ Falcons have been hewn out of sterner stuff – and clawed their way back into a game that is worth the entry fee simply for the non-stop opening period. The second period was even better, as the two side matched the try-count of Worcester and Exeter.

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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TRENDING Everyone is saying the same thing after agonising England loss Everyone is saying the same thing after agonising England loss
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