The Final Shakedown

After Sunday's epic Guinness Premiership semi-finals we have a tasty clash between Leicester Tigers and Saracens to look forward to at Twickenham on May 29.

Leicester smothered Bath into submission in a 15-6 tryless affair, whilst Sarries squeaked past Northampton Saints 21-19 at Franklins Gardens.

Each game was packed with twists, controversy and bucket loads of irony.

Who can forget one-time Sarries bound Soane Tonga'uhia steaming over for a Saints try on the stroke of half time?  Did Toby Flood's high flying penalty really count for the Tigers?

And then there were the subplots: The extra needle between Saints and Sarries after Celebrationgate, the alleged tapping up of Northampton prop Brian Mujati by Saracens, Brendan Venter's misconduct charge.

All the extra needle created an afternoon of high drama, and I for one, loved it.

The final results?  Heartbreak for Saints and Bath, heaven for Leicester and Saracens.

And it should be a storming final in a couple of weeks. 

My faith in English club rugby has been fully restored.  Roll on Twickenham in two weeks time.

I, for one, cannot wait.

Saints Stars look ahead to Saracens Semi-Final

Northampton Saints host Saracens in their much anticipated Guinness Premiership semi-final this Sunday.

Here, Saints stars Ben Foden, Stephen Myler and Lee Dickson talk about the game.

Saracens Aim for Home Semi-Final

Saracens take on Leicester Tigers at Welford Road this Saturday, and only a win will give Sarries the chance of a home semi-final against Northampton Saints.

But winning at Welford Road is a tough ask - no team has beaten the Tigers on home soil in the league this season.

However Brendan Venter's Saracens did grab a 28-27 victory over title rivals Northampton at Franklins Gardens two weeks ago.  This result denied the Saints an unbeaten Premiership home campaign and added fire to the forthcoming semi-final clash between the two sides.

The venue of this game is still up for grabs and it rests on the results of Northampton's trip to London Irish and Saracens' game against the Tigers.

Here, Sarries' trio Adam Powell, Andy Saull and Brad Barritt chat about Saturday's game:

Man of the Month: May

April's man of the month was Leeds Carnegie captain, Marco Wentzel.  And guess what?  No sooner had he been bestowed with this wonderful honour he promptly led Leeds Carnegie to another season in the top flight.

Hurray!

Therefore, with this in mind, I have been very careful with my choice for May.

This month sees the Guinness Premiership playoffs and final - and the question on everyone's lips (well, some people's lips) is which team will lift the trophy on May 29th?

Leicester, Northampton, and Saracens have already booked their playoff spots, and Bath will join them if they can see off Leeds next weekend.

If I had to choose a winner from the remaining four it would be tough. 

Leicester Tigers have the pedigree, Sarries are playing some superb rugby, Bath are enjoying a storming second half to the season, and Northampton Saints have been the all round surprise package.

But if I had to choose a team it would be Northampton Saints.

Why?

A few reasons I guess.

1. Everyone loves an underdog.  Northampton are not a fashionable team.  Well, maybe they are now, but before the start of this season?  Not a chance.  Jim Mallinder, Dorian West and Paul Grayson have done an excellent job of building the Saints up from relegation in 2006/07 and transforming them into this season's LV= Cup winners, Heineken Cup quarter-finalists and Guinness Premiership semi-finalists.
2. They play exciting rugby and have done all season.  I'm not saying that Leicester, and more recently, Bath and Sarries haven't been mesmerising crowds with magical ball skills, but this season, at times, Northampton have been sublime.
3. I fancy Dylan Hartley.  There.  I said it.  The Northampton captain might not be everyone's cup of tea but I think he's lovely.  Yeah, so he might look a bit like Chunk from the Goonies but I wouldn't mind seeing his truffle shuffle.  (And before you say it, I don't even know what that innuendo means). 
   
   Dylan says he is often mistaken for Chris Ashton, his Northampton and England team mate, when doing his weekly supermarket shop.  Responding to this, Ashton said: "That's ridiculous because I'm much better looking.  And thinner."
   
   Thinner, yes.  But better looking?  Nah.

Therefore, all this can only mean one thing. 

Yes, May's Man of the Month is England and Saints hooker Dylan Hartley.

A good choice I think.

With that I'm going to wish good luck to Dylan and all the Northampton Saints for the rest of the season!

Will Greenwood on the Heineken Cup Quarter Finals

There's only a few hours left before the kick off of the first Heineken Cup Quarter Final: an epic clash between Leinster and Clermont Auvergne.

Here, Will Greenwood tells us his thoughts ahead of the four games:



All I can say is: Good luck to Leinster and Northampton Saints!

What a Weekend!

I can't wait for this weekend, I really can't.

For starters, it's my birthday. 

Yes, this means I will be blowing out an increasingly large number of candles on a chocolate caterpillar cake, and venturing into town for a few shandies.

Not only that, the Grand National gallops onto our TV screens on Saturday afternoon.  I will have my annual flutter on the gee-gees with the hope of topping up my birthday beer fund.

But then there's the rugby.

The Guinness Premiership draws ever closer to its epic finale, and my team Leeds travel down to the Stoop to take on Quins.  There's only really one present that I want this year, and that's a four try bonus point win for Carnegie.  But I'll settle for a win though...

Not only that, but the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup roll back into town.

I love the Heineken Cup.  After the Six Nations it is my favourite competition.  The pride and passion of club rugby is taken to a whole new level on the European stage.  I can't get enough of it.

But who will win this weekend?  As ever, here are my predictions:.

Leinster v Clermont Auvergne

Defending champions Leinster take on Clermont in Friday's much hyped match.  Last weekend, the Dubliners took the prize scalp of Munster in a 16-15 Magners' League win, which will have helped to build their confidence ahead of this crucial clash.  The RDS faithful will also be pleased to see Brian O'Driscoll included in the squad for Friday.

Clermont Auvergne are currently fourth in the French Top 14 but come into the game on the back of a 19-10 loss away to Stade Français.  Clermont showed dazzling ability in their backline during the pool stages of the cup, most notably against a strong Leicester Tigers.  To win, Leinster have to grab the ball up front and put the squeeze on their visitors.

My prediction: Leinster by 5.

Biarritz v Ospreys

Claiming a win in the south of France in a cup quarter final isn't an easy ask for the Ospreys.  The Magners league side beat rivals the Scarlets 27-19 last weekend, but unlike trailblazing leaders Leinster, the Welsh team are firmly mid-table.

Biarritz are also slap bang in the middle of their respective league, and last weekend they crushed Montauban to the tune of 42-13.  In a crunch fixture like this, I think Biarritz will pull it out of the bag again.

My prediction: Biarritz by 10.

Munster v Northampton Saints

Now this should be a game and a half.  Northampton are the only English team left in the competition and were in the same pool as two time winners Munster.  The men in red beat the Saints 12-9 at Fortress Thomond in January's pool clash, but Northampton claimed Munster's scalp in round one in the closely fought 31-27 win at Franklins Gardens.

Both sides are second in their respective leagues, and whilst Munster lost to rivals Leinster last weekend, Northampton only managed to clinch a late win over relegation battlers Leeds.  Maybe both teams had one eye on this weekend's game?  For me, this is the one to watch, and I sense an upset on the cards.

My prediction: Northampton to win by 6.

Toulouse v Stade Français

Two giants of the French Top 14 will battle it out in another mouth watering clash.  Last weekend, Stade beat Clermont 19-10 whilst Toulouse were 28-23 winners over Racing Metro.

I'll be honest and admit that I don't know too much about French club rugby, but I think the home side will have more of an edge.  Either way, this game should be a corker.

My prediction: Toulouse to win by 9.

Over in the Amlin Challenge Cup:

Connacht to beat Bourgoin by 6.

Toulon to beat the Scarlets by 9.

Cardiff to beat Newcastle by 10.

Wasps to beat Gloucester by 4.

And finally, in the Guinness Premiership:

Leeds Carnegie to beat Harlequins by 5.

Saracens to beat Sale by 17.

London Irish to beat Worcester by 13.

This weekend is a proper rugby-fest, and I can't wait!

Soane Long Saints?

Soane Tonga'uiha is the latest player to be embroiled in a Chuckle Brothers style "To me, to you" tug of war.

First we saw James "Jimmy" Haskell starring as the rope in a ridiculous battle between Stade Francais and England.

Now, Northampton prop Tonga'uiha has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons by signing a new deal with the Saints - three months after he agreed a contract with Saracens for next season.

As a result, everything is kicking off.

Edward Griffiths, Sarries' Chief Executive, isn't exactly full of the joys of spring.  In fact, he has slammed Northampton and called them "April Fools".

He said: "On April Fool's Day, Northampton have announced they have signed a new contract with Soane. This contract is illegal and irrelevant.

"The sad reality is that a proud Premiership club has brought our game into disrepute.

"They have shown complete contempt for legality, justice and integrity and have made themselves look like the ultimate April fools. We must now decide whether we operate a league where signed agreements mean something and are respected, or whether we have chaos."

So he's not a happy Easter bunny then.

But what's going to happen if Griffiths gets his way?

If Tonga'uiha's Saracens' contract stands up, are they going to force him to join them?  Do Sarries really think they're going to get the best out of a player who would rather be plying his trade 50 miles up the M1?

Time to wheel in lawyers, but it would be nice if this could all be sorted out sensibly and behind closed doors.

For a change.

Who Will Be the Champions?

The Guinness Premiership is rounding the find bend and all the teams at the top are sharpening their spikes for the final run in.

Last week I upset Sale fans when I picked the Sharks as the team most likely to slip into the Championship next season.

Now, I'm going to crane my neck and look at the top of the table to see just who could be Guinness Premiership Champions.

Let's delve into each team's remaining fixtures, do a bit of crappy maths and conjure up a potential winner.

Here are the teams with their current league positions, points and run in:

Leicester Tigers

Points: 58
Position: 1st
Fixtures: Bath (H), Falcons (A), Harlequins (H), Saracens (H)

Playoff tip:  It's not a bad run in for the Tigers with three of their last four games at fortress Welford Road.  Coach Richard Cockerill will expect to pick up five points against both the Falcons and Quins, and I expect Leicester to battle out wins againsts Bath and Sarries.  A top two spot and a home semi-final awaits.

Northampton Saints

Points: 56
Position: 2nd
Fixtures: Leeds (A), Gloucester (H), Bath (A), Saracens (H), London Irish (A)

Playoff tip:  The Saints have a tougher run in than Leicester with tricky away games against Bath and the Exiles.  Leeds could be a potential banana skin as they battle relegation, but Northampton will expect to take the full five points this weekend.  An LV= Cup final rematch against Gloucester could be a humdinger of a grudge match, and whilst Sarries's form has been pretty rubbish, last weekend they put Newcastle to the sword in a seven try demolishion job.  Despite this, Northampton are the form team and in pole position for a home semi final.

Saracens

Points: 51
Position: 3rd
Fixtures: Gloucester (A), Sale(A), Harlequins (H), Northampton (A), Leicester (A)

Playoff tip:  A very tough run-in for Brendan Venter and chums.  Away trips to Franklins Gardens and Welford Road in the final two rounds are a massive ask for a team with stuttering form.  Gloucester away won't be easy as the cherry and whites are also strong right now.  Sale should be a four or five pointer, but the game against Quins could be tricky.  I think Sarries have peaked too soon and will finish in 5th.

London Irish

Points: 48
Position: 4th
Fixtures: Wasps (A), Worcester (A), Leeds (H), Gloucester (A), Northampton (H)

Playoff tip:  With the exception of Gloucester and Northampton this isn't a bad run in for the Exiles.  But what about Wasps?  Well, to be honest I'm not quite sure how Danny Celebriani and pals have climbed so high up the table, as losses to Leeds, Sale and Saints in recent weeks is hardly championship form.  Therefore I expect Irish to bag a win at Adams Park, take the points from Leeds and Worcester and finish in third or fouth.  I think they'll be happy with a semi-final, even though it won't be at home.

Wasps

Points: 44
Position: 5th
Fixtures: London Irish(H), Worcester (A), Bath (A), Newcastle Falcons (H)

Playoff tip:  Wasps will finish out of the top four.  They have one game less to play than most of their rivals and can't realistically target the Newcastle or Worcester games as sure things.  The Falcons beat Wasps at home, and Wasps on the road are about as tough to beat as a team of under 7s.  They will finish in 6th.

Bath

Points: 42
Position: 6th
Fixtures: Leicester (A), Sale (H), Northampton (H), Wasps (A), Leeds(A)

Playoff tip:  Bath look to be timing their run in rather nicely.  A dreadful first half of the season saw them languishing down at the bottom of the table, but an impressive run of form hsa propelled them to in touching distance of the top four.  Steve Meehan's men are the best team in the league on current form having grabbed 30 of the last 35 available league points.  They're also the best team away from home with 25 points scored on the road.  Bath are coming up on the rails fast and I think they'll pip Wasps to a playoff place.

So, with form and the run-in analysed, I think the semi-finalists will be:

1. Leicester Tigers
2. Northampton Saints
3. London Irish
4. Bath Rugby 

But which team will be crowned champions?

Gut feeling?  I think it could well be Northampton's year.

Put your hands up for the Saints

Why?

I don't know.  As I say it's just a feeling.  Everything coming out of the club at the moment is positive.  They have several international players with plenty more on the fringes.  The Saints have already won their first piece of silverware this year with the LV= Cup and they are the only English team still in the Heineken Cup.  The coaching set up of Jim Mallinder, Dorian West and Paul Grayson has worked wonders.  Everything just seems to be clicking at the right time.

It's not that I'm discounting Leicester, Bath and London Irish - it's just that these teams don't seem to have that extra spark right now.  Leicester are great at home but their away form hasn't been as impressive and their high profile departures are unsettling.  OK, so Soane Tonga'uiha is leaving Northampton for Sarries next season and Neil Best is heading to Worcester - but I hear Tonga'uiha is now trying to stay at Franklins Gardens do the the postive outlook at the club.

I could wheel out some stats about the final league position of teams who have gone on to win the title in previous years, but I won't as I don't think that really matters.

If the top four shapes up as above, I think Northampton will beat London Irish in the semi-final and go on to do a job on Leicester in the final.

Again, don't ask me why, but I just have a feeling....