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Henry Slade the Exeter number 13 said after the pulsating final at Twickenham that this felt like the worst loss of all because they really thought they had Saracens. The England centre is right in feeling that as they genuinely were on top but it is instructive to also listen to the words spoken by Saracens head man mark McCall after the game. He said it was the best Exeter had played in the three finals and that they should be massively encouraged at by how they could so have easily won the game. McCall knows that success at Saracens did not happen overnight and they lost a lot of European knock out games before they got it right. McCall will be only to aware that Exeter are breathing right down the neck of his team and the next time they meet in a final the small moments may well go Exeter’s way.

Exeter are a bit unlucky in that their period of dominance in the Gallagher league has coincided with Saracens arrival as a European powerhouse. Exeter and Saracens are looking like two closely matched sides with the Devon side showing all the signs Saracens showed a few years ago of learning from defeats and making improvements every year. The two clubs have slightly different models with The Chiefs building their culture from being a local side based far from everyone else and recruiting cleverly to supplement those local lads. Saracens have had to build their culture internally being unable to rely on locality as a club that draw its support from all around the M25 and beyond. Like Exeter the core is however academy who have grown and developed with the club and benefitted in recent years from smart signings. Both teams however have arrived at the same point and Saracens superiority may just be their extra experience in finals and such a settled side that by all accounts they are now starting to coach themselves.

The way Exeter actually played on Saturday was outstanding with a smart game plan that neutralised so many of Saracen’s strengths. The high ball so majestically utilised by Saracens against Gloucester just did not work against the Chiefs who were alive to the tap back and got numbers back to surround the receiver and chasing Saracens’ player. The forwards were magnificent with the power of Dave Ewers and Don Armand nicely balanced by the pilfering instinct and hard carrying of Matt Kvesic. To a man Exeter were awesome with the slippery eel that is Jack Nowell putting in a man of the match performance. Eddie Jones will be cursing his luck if Jack’s 70^th minute injury is serious enough to knock him out of the World Cup.

As for Saracens, by their own admission, they struggled to find the intensity they displayed against Leinster and Gloucester. It was credit to Exeter that you just know against most sides a 90% Saracens would still have won comfortably but it was nowhere near good enough for The Chiefs.

This incredible match which swung backwards and forwards seemed to have been won by Henry Slade around the 60 minute mark with a try that took Exeter to what seemed an unbridgeable 11 point lead. At that stage Rob Baxter, a man not given to a huge amount of emotion win or lose, leapt to his feet and celebrated as hard as the players on the pitch. This shift in both teams’ heads was clear with Exeter believing they were going to win and just now needed to defend the lead whilst Saracens suddenely shifted a gear knowing they now had no choice but to switch on and up the intensity otherwise they were going to be well beaten.

After that Slade try I thought Exeter switched off for a couple of minutes and shortly afterwards Liam Williams soared into the air to catch a pinpoint perfect kick for the start of the comeback. It led to 21 unanswered points and a whole momentum shift as Exeter saw their lead slip away. It was magnificent rugby from both sides, exhausting to watch never mind play in and it was overall the final the league deserved.

After the nerve shredding excitement of Saturday’s final the two Barbarian games on Sunday were the perfect way to finish off the regular rugby season. A historic women’s game kicked us off and showcased the brilliant expansion of womens rugby and just how much skills have improved as well as the physicality of the players. England up against a Babas side stuffed with talent were themselves too well organised and too good a team to allow the visitors much room for razzle dazzle.

Shout out to the winger for the Barbarains Tova Derk who well over 18 months ago I met on our Raging Bull photoshoot when she was modelling our women’s range as an unknown Sweden sevens player!

Another player I am going to claim a little ownership of is Alex Dombrant the ex Uni forward making huge waves at Harlequins. Alex was named the Raging Bull Young Player of the Year at The Rugby Paper Awards last week and what a delight to see him out at Twickenham in the white shirt demonstrating precisely why. He is a big unit but runs smart lines and has fantastic handling skills. Given there are quite a few back rowers in front of him at the moment it would take a swathe of injuries to see him make Japan but with Eddie in the stadium casting an eagle eye over the boys Dombrandt could get pulled into the wider training squad.

Studying the team sheets before the game I was predicting another Babas masterclass like we saw last year but this group of young and raw England lads were superb. Marcus Smith, another Quin, is moving sharply away from Apprentice status to a true contender for the World Cup. He is ridiculously young but let’s also remember Jonny Wilkinson and Owen Farrell were also making waves at this age and stepping up in big games and dealing with the pressure. What a multitude of talent Eddie Jones has to pick from in England and if injuries do strike in the World Cup squad there were many out there on Sunday who could step up.

And so my friends we come to the end of the 18/19 rugby season which allows us to take a breather and prepare ourselves for the mother of all tournaments when the Rugby World Cup gets underway in September. See you on the sofa.

It started back in September and ends this coming Saturday in Twickenham. And the two teams we all thought would be there for the finale are almost inevitably Exeter and Saracens. Rugby fans generally might be wishing for a new team to gate crash the duopoly but if the aim of the league is to crown the best team - we have the best two fighting it out and that has got to be right.

Both Exeter and Saracens are performing a few levels above the chasing pack but that is in a way exciting for the other 10. They can see quite clearly how and where they need to improve as the two clubs are setting standards and teams know they have to improve to catch them. It is no longer about just buying in the best players and both these two are not playing that game. Out of the Saracens starting 23 on Saturday only really Liam William was a ‘big’ name when he was signed and the slew of internationals and B & I Lions only became so whilst at Saracens. There is a golden generation too at Saracens where in one Academy year group they had Farrell, Jamie George, George Kruis and Jackson Wray – there of whom who went on to become B & I Lions. That is some hit rate! Exeter has also signed very few superstars and has built success with their local Devon and Cornwall lads and canny signings such as Matt Kvesic, Ollie Devoto and Nic White. What it demonstrates is whilst money and rich backers play a role in developing a club it is other intangible things that create a winning team. Culture, spirit, togetherness, bravery and desire all rolled together with a dollop of self-belief and momentum. There is no reason at all that other teams cannot become the next Exeter or Saracens.

Consistency and stability are the two buzz words at the moment but there is a shed load of science underpinning it. Sports teams statistically win more things when they have a stable group of players and coaches with only minimum changes. It makes me feel next season will still be tough for Leicester who will be starting again with nearly half a new squad. Wholesale squad changes mean time spent bedding in players and sometimes it can take a season before they look the part. Lima Sopanga is one such and indeed Willie Le Roux took a while to show his world class abilities. Lima should be playing with much more confidence and self belief next season and Wasps should be able to look forward to seeing the best of the All Black.

Looking at Gloucester and Northampton the best bit is they will have that stability next season with no big changes and some tweaks and small improvements in their squads. They both have got savvy and inspirational coaches who have noticeably improved them so I see these two in particular making some big gains next year.

Gloucester will feel, despite the scoreline at Allianz Park, that they are not lagging hugely behind Saracens. The three tries they scored sliced and diced the Saracens defence and then there was the Alex Goode intercept which foiled a potential walk over the line. Matching up player by player Gloucester had the pack to take on Sarries but Ed Slater’s injury took some of the power out of the engine room. Saracens have built a mentality around their game where intensity levels rarely drop off in big matches. Indeed, they rely on intensity and desire to both get them over the gainline and stop the oppo in their tracks. Just watch Big Billy Vunipola tracking back to tackle Cipriani when the mercurial fly half looked set to run the ball out of his own 22. Or even Owen Farrell in the last minutes of the game failing to prevent a Gloucester try and thumping his fist into the surface in frustration. Saracens were winning by about 30 points at the time…

The kick to re-gather tactic of Saracens was almost impossible to play against and was the key weapon used by the men in black. Alex Sanderson in the post-match chat talked about how it is not luck that makes the tactic successful and that they employ specific tactics and skills to give themselves the opportunity to win the ball back from their kicks. Gloucester will be studying this over the summer I am sure and with not too much disruption to their squad during the World Cup they have the perfect opportunity to hone their game plan and keep building the spirit within the squad.  The wonderful cherry & white fans who packed out the Allianz in huge numbers will I am sure be marking the days to the new season and excited about just how far Ackerman can take this side.

Northampton Saints at half time in Sandy Park would have believed anything was possible with two wonderful tries scored and a third try coughed up that would have given them the lead. Exeter however are a patient team and a powerful one and they rarely panic. There was some eye-catching talent on display in the Saints team with the class of the half backs outshining Exeter by significant margins. As always though it is the pack where Saints were overwhelmed with the Exeter 8 keeping control and employing their usual successful game plan. You can’t however dismiss Exeter as a one trick pony as they can definitely play a bit too. I could watch Henry Slade all day and the new guy

Thomas O’Flahtery on the wing is tearing it up. Stuart Hogg’s arrival next season will add a further dash of international class from full back that should increase the Chiefs attacking prowess even further.

For Exeter, who will go into next weekend as slight underdogs, it will be about showing what they learnt from last year’s defeat in the final. They are improved but so are Saracens so it will be about finding the tiny weak edges of each other’s game to apply pressure. Exeter’s wonderful ability to score from short range cannot be underestimated and if Saracens give away too many penalties this could be where Chiefs have the upperhand. Without the two first choice front rows Saracens may find the scrum creaks a bit against the quality Exeter props. Jamie George also looked like he was carrying a couple of injuries and the British & Irish Lion will be badly missed if he does not get off the treatment table in time. Although Saracens have Nick Tompkins to step in for captain Brad Barritt by starting Tompkins they weaken their bench and may need one of the academy lads to step in. In fact, the bench could be where Exeter apply that pressure. When Saracens emptied their bench in the semi they failed to score and conceded two tries.

There will be another match going on at the weekend when a very much Saxons type England side have to face up against a Pat Lam coached Barbarians. The Babas will be stuffed as normal with some sensational talent and with Lam in charge will not lack for a bit of cohesion and team spirit. For the England lads, with only a handful that have had any time with the senior squad, this could be quite a beasting. The England squad are not lacking in talent and class but will be very much like a Baba side themselves having never played together as a group. Unlike the Babas though they will be severely lacking in big game experience. What they need to do therefore is embrace the whole thing and play with as much passion and commitment as they can summon up to show how much it means to have the shirt. Although not coaching I am sure Eddie will be watching and who knows – some of these England tyros could have the game of their lives and end up sneaking onto the plane to Japan.

In this season, of all seasons, it was fitting that the final round would end with plenty of late drama with two matches decided by final penalty kicks and apart from the Exeter game squeakily close scorelines across the games.

One of the keenest fought fixtures involved fights for the play offs with both Northampton Saints and Quins hungry to secure a win and nail that fourth place and the opportunity to dream of Twickenham.

Northampton Saints are a vastly improved team under Chris Boyd who has steered them majestically up the table whilst playing some gorgeous rugby. However, this weekend their lack of grunt in the engine room told and Exeter flexed their muscles to end up comfortable winners down in Sandy Park. This win should have left the door wide open for Quins to canter in if they could have scraped 2 points, they would have crept into fourth above the Saints. Wasps with nothing to play for looked enterprising and energised with the cohort of departing players including Elliott Daly and Joe Simpson saying goodbye in style. In truth Quins were so, so close to that 4^th place with a final long-distance penalty kick falling agonisingly short and denying them the snatched victory and a playoff place. It has still been a good season for the London men who despite not winning a huge amount of games stiffened up their defence conceding far fewer tries than last season and thus hanging in games and piling up a significant amount of losing bonus points. Paul Gustard now must start to re-build the squad in his own image and layer on more of an attacking threat to balance out the improved defence.

The rest of the positions and European places were also decided with Quins and Bath picking up Top 6 finishes so entry to the Champions Cup. Sale gave themselves a sniff with the 20^th place in the Cup available through a convoluted process which will need La Rochelle to finish in the top 6 in the French league to pave the way. 

I think it is fair to say most of us are fairly gob smacked at the plight of the Leicester Tigers. Their narrow loss to Bath condemned them to their lowest league finish sitting in 11^th - something not seen since around 1938. The eternal optimism of sport means I am sure fans are now focussing on next season and with a massive clear out of players hoping the club starts to rebuild. It may be that we never see Leicester right back at the top again as so much has changed around them. Their model which was for so many years hugely successful and delivered a multitude of silverware has been surpassed by new money, new coaching structures and big signings across the whole of the league. Leicester has lost its glamour and without the chance of winning lots of trophies players are looking elsewhere for either improved terms or the chance to compete in big European games.

Despite a quick flurry of excitement around changes to the final top order the Premiership Semi Finals are - as expected - a re-match with Exeter v Northampton and Saracens taking on a resurgent and dangerous Gloucester at Allianz Park.

We all love an upset and a challenge to the top order in any sport so it would be good to see one of Saints or Gloucester pull off a tough away win. If Gloucester had been playing Exeter, then I would have given them a good chance of scattering apples as they have beaten The Chiefs in the Champions Cup pool match.  As it is the Cherry & Whites need to take on the newly crowned European champions and find a way to negate their power game. Gloucester will however travel to north London with ambition, desire and no fear knowing that they have developed under Ackerman into a top side with all sorts of weapons at their disposal. Cipriani will I am sure have been studying intently the line speed of Saracens and hatching plots to deal with it through either moving the ball wide as fast as possible or using a tactical kicking game. If you look at that Gloucester side and indeed a potential bench, then you must feel this is far from a foregone conclusion. Ackerman will be aware that their victory against Saracens at Kingsholm was during the Six Nations so this will be a bigger challenge against a slew of British & Irish Lions.  Saracens will need to summon up the same desire they displayed against Leinster to halt the west country sides momentum and will themselves have some challenges in dealing with a very threatening attack and a Gloucester team that have been steadily getting better and better.  

Exeter showed the last few games were an aberration and will feel they now have the measure of Northampton when they take them on a week later. You can see the side gelling during the game and shaking off the rustiness built up over a period when they really did have nothing to play for. I suspect Rob Baxter was pleased there was a whiff of danger to this last round fixture. A loss in Round 22 could have meant missing out on top place giving them a slightly tougher opponent in the semi final and this re focussed his players and got them back to their dynamic and powerful best.

In the Saints favour they may be able to finally add Dylan Hartley to the team sheet and that can only give needed strength to their pack. Their live wire and hugely influential scrum half Cobus Rienach seemed to pick up a knock so there will be mass finger crossing in the West Midlands hoping he is fit to play. How important has he been to the Saints! Is an upset on the cards here? I personally can’t see Saints being able to down Exeter unless they play a game of huge discipline to deny Chiefs the comfort factor of kicking to the 5m line for a rolling maul score. The Saints attack and their half back pairing is on fire now so nothing should be ruled out with the chance they score a bucket load of tries. You would never have backed Northampton to win twice in a row at Sandy Park so the loss last weekend to me still means they are still in the hunt.

The green, green grass of Twickenham awaits the winners of this coming weekend’s two games. Are we finally going to be able to say it is Gloucester’s year? See Exeter win the trophy for only the second time after coming top of the league 4 times? Watch dark horses Saints sneak up on the rails from 4^th position to 1st? Or indeed witness Saracens do the double. Who’s your money on?

The Leinster players must have woken up on Sunday feeling they had been in a multiple pile up on the M1. The ferocity of this Champions Cup final was one for the ages. The sheer explosive power, physicality and energy Saracens bought to the game was in the end just too much for this top quality Leinster side.

It was a game that had me on the edge of my couch almost feeling every titanic hit and wincing at times. People flippantly talk about games as being ‘test match intensity’ but I can tell you this was a test match in all but name. Some Leinster players said it was more physical and demanding than many tests they have played which tells you all you need to know.

How often do games get talked up by over enthusiastic sports commentators and fail to deliver – well this time it was different. Quite rightly billed as the closest matched due to the two teams both being recent winners it was absorbing and enthralling. Yes it was defensive but in matches like this tries are always a rare thing. Many big finals are settled by kicking penalties and indeed last year’s Euro final was tryless. It did not mean that the teams on Saturday did not try to create space to score and we saw some dazzling footwork at times.

Trying to list the key moment in the match would take too long and most have been highlighted well by many newspaper reports. For me as a scrum nerd there was plenty for me to get my teeth into. The loss of one starting prop 30 minutes into the game is a misfortune but both? Could have been a disaster for Saracens especially as it co-ncided with a deserved yellow card for Itoje. Step up unheralded ex Jersey RFC loosehead Richard Barrington and take a bow my son. Going up against the undoubtedly world class Tadagh Furlong and holding your own plus putting in a stormer on the field was just comic book stuff.

In truth if you ask what won it for the Sarries team it came down to the team spirit which meant every one of them never faltered in their work rate or desire. The spirit of the club is epitomised by Mr Concrete himself Brad Barritt who made 28 – yes count them -28 tackles missing none. What a leader and inspiration to his team. Interesting that England do not think there is a gap in the World Cup squad for a hard-running defensive centre with leadership skills…

I know I bang on about it but team, culture whatever you call it – is so vital to success. If it wasn’t then the Barbarians or British & Irish Lions would win every single time they played. Building a club that plays for each other takes a while and this is where Saracens have got lucky in that they had a core of Academy lads all exceptionally talented who grew and developed together over the years and built unshakeable bonds. Their owner Nigel Wray wants his Saracens boys to love each other and the club which is precisely what they do. From their Instagram accounts it appears they have celebrating together nonstop in a rather old school way and I am not sure if even today Alex Goode has changed out of his playing kit!

For Leinster they will know that they could still have won this game and it was the terrible end to the first half that knocked the stuffing out of them. After half time oranges they came out like a freight train indeed playing some unbelievable rugby and upping their physicality. There were a couple of opportunities for them but the small things did not go for them and Saracens went on to take total control. No five stars then for this classy and quality team but they are still European royalty and they will know it took a monumental effort from the Londoners to wrench the crown from their head.

Can’t quite believe we are heading for the final weekend of the Premiership with unbelievably most games with something riding on them. Even though relegation is decided there are still battles for Top 2, Top 4 and Top 6. Both Exeter and Saracens will still not be quite sure who they are facing in the semi final play offs but one thing Exeter know is that they need to win to avoid Gloucester. I see Gloucester as a real threat in these play offs and whether they are at Sandy or Allianz Park they will not be there to make up the numbers. With the Premiership player of the Year Danny Cipriani leading the charge alongside an immense forward pack they will be a challenge. Eddie Jones meanwhile still seems to deem both the Prem Player of the Year and the European Player of the Year surplus to requirements.  Funny old game selection.

After 21 gruelling rounds of Gallagher Premiership rugby the runners and riders are still not quite settled.  Five teams are still jostling for Champions Cup rugby places whilst Saints and Quins are still gunning for fourth place to secure a semi final berth.

It has been quite a season on so many levels and when you think that Harlequins could make that play off spot in 4^th when they have only won about half their games it looks slightly bonkers.  

Even the Top 2 Exeter and Saracens which were comfortably ensconced in positions 1 and 2 respectively may well end up changing spots.  The big showdown between Exeter and Saracens which would have been eagerly anticipated by fans and BT Sport as a big highlight of the season became something quite different when a Sarries B team ran riot against an Exeter B team.  You can’t blame the coaches for fielding the sides they did and both have earnt the right to rest up their big guns.  Exeter perhaps had slightly more to lose as they now have to win their final game to ensure they retain top seed status and a slightly easier home semi final.

The game itself allowed the rule to be run over a group of very promising Academy lads.  Where Saracens had the edge in this game was in the forwards who included not so young Schalk Burger, Nick Isiekwe and man mountain Will Skelton.  This allowed their youngsters in the back line to shine and fly half Max Malins and centre Dom Morris caught the eye. 

Exeter’s coach Rob Baxter now has to earn his corn in deciding what team to put out at Sandy Park against Saints for the final game.  I suspect he will go for a virtually full strength side to gain meomentum following what has been for them a strange hiatus which has led to some under par performances.  Exeter I think have been biding their time and will be fully focussed and back to their best when it comes to the play offs.  We all know how good they can be and with rested players chomping at the bit I feel Saints may have a battle to nail the 4^th place.

As for the Cherry & Whites they managed to get back on track with a win against Newcastle.  A win that finally condemned the Falcons to relegation.  As I have said before as much as relegation adds excitement our league is still not rich enough or big enough to allow one club each season to fall into the Championship.  It takes time to build a club, a culture and a fan base and it also takes money.  Lots of money.  We do not have sufficient money sloshing around our sport and owners do not have endless access to cash.  Giving it some thought I think possibly a home and away play off to decide if someone comes up.  If a team in the Championship has the quality to beat a Premiership team then maybe they are good enough to earn their place. 

As for Glos they just have a tricky away fixture up at Sale to negotiate before probably heading over to North London to face Saracens in the semi final.   I am really excited to see what Gloucester can do in this semi final and with most of the injured players fit and firing the teams look well matched.  Saracens have never found Gloucester easy to play and this could be a humdinger that Gloucester have every chance of winning. 

Harlequins have slipped up in their chase for the top 4 and now need a big win up at Wasps and hope Saints get nothing out of Exeter.  They also have Sale and Bath breathing down their neck and could slip to 7^th if results go against them.  On the whole though I think the report card for Paul Gustard’s first season at the helm is a positive one.  Quins have sharpened up and added some physicality and defensive structure to their game which is how they find themselves in the position they are in.  it is also worth pointing out they have the highest amount of losing bonus points which demonstrates they have become much more competitive as a side.

Saints are another team who have like Quins under a new coach cleaned up their act and Chris Boyd has them playing a wonderful attacking style of rugby that is delivering results.  They won’t fear going down to Sandy Park and with lashings of youthful exuberance will definitely take the game to the Chiefs.

Leicester Tigers have stumbled home this season sitting currently in an unlikely and for them shocking 11^th place.   They have a final home game which is against traditional rivals Bath to put on a big display for the loyal fans and make sure their season does not peter out with yet another loss.

Bath though still have things to play for so will go full bore and this game could go anyway.  Welford Road sadly is no longer a fortress so I am not sure the home advantage will count for much.  Bath however have been horribly inconsistent and with the quality of player they have are probably not quite where they should be.  I thought they played brilliantly last week to get the victory against Wasps.  If  they can take that form into the Tigers game and other results go their way then the Bath boys may need to put holiday plans on hold as they could be in the play offs.

 All eyes turn northwards on Saturday to  St James’  Park on Saturday for the Heineken Champions Cup Final.  Both Leinster and Saracens are already clutching fistfuls of winners medals and with the Irish side looking for an astounding 5^th title this is a meeting of two rugby dynasties. 

Both teams look likely to be nearly full strength.  Mako Vunipola is supposedly out of his protective boot and Brad Barritt is hopeful for Saracens and Leinster relieved that Sean Cronin looks good to start alongside Rhys Ruddock.  The match ups are titanic  with Irish and English internationals and British & Irish Lions going up against each other. 

The bookmakers cannot separate the two teams which tells you everything and means neither side can claim the underdog status.  Looking at likely line ups I feel Leinster have the edge in the front row, centres and back row.  Their all action starting front row with tighthead Tadgh Furlong and partner Cian Healey combines raw power with technical skills and the back row with Aussie Scott Fardy tearing it up alongside a revitalised Sean O’Brien and coming man Jack Conan overall looks stronger than Sarries. 

If Brad Barritt does not recover then Leinster hands down win the centre battle.  Henshaw and Ringrose are a class pairing who both looked immense in the semi final against Toulouse. For Saracens the back three, locks and half backs edge their opponents but we all know teams are more than the sum of their parts and tactics, physicality, desire and decision making will play a massive role.  It is going to come down to small margins, one missed tackle, a soft penalty, a bounce of the ball, a high tackle.  In these big games nerves can play a part albeit these two sides have mostly been there seen it and done it.  However in a very tight game the wobblies can creep in and seeing England implode on a few occasions with many of the Sarries lads involved it may give Leinster hope.  Saracens on the other hand will have plenty of players remembering a certain day in Dublin during the Six Nations when Ireland were taken apart.  So whoever you are supporting or if you are a neutral this is a game to relish.  Let’s hope these two do not cancel each other out with their defences and we get to see one of the great European finals.

The drama of the Premiership eased slightly last weekend particularly on the relegation front. It looks like Newcastle Falcons are doomed and you just must feel for the club and fans. To go from 4^th last year to relegation is a hard one to swallow. With in-form Gloucester lying in wait on Saturday it is hard to see the Falcons getting the points to stave off the final blow. Should they however somehow, someway find their form and put in a massive performance to overturn Gloucester and then Leicester lose away to Quins - put the kettle on and settle down for another dramatic weekend.

In truth this was overall genuinely one tough season with Falcons still not mathematically relegated and Leicester Tigers in an unbelievable 11^th place. The tightness of the league was shown by the way teams who have won around half their games are still in with top four chances and European qualification. Exeter and Saracens have taken points off nearly everyone and all the other teams have taken points off each other.

Some might think it is a pointless scramble for top 4 when Exeter and Saracens look like they have it sewn up but dig a little deeper into results and you can see there were plenty of tight games only just won by the top 2 and they have both lost games they were expected to win. Now there are still about 4 teams who could grab that final playoff spot, so this is an intriguing set of fixtures coming up.

When it comes to the Twickenham final for me Gloucester look best placed for an assault on the established duo and their probable semi final against Saracens is going to be something special. It is lip smacking to see that Glos pack up against a nearly all England 8 and of course let us not forget the Cipriani v Farrell match up. On paper Sarries may have a slight edge but Gloucester need to believe and go there with heads switched on and prepared to be very physical. With the likes of Mostert, Marais, Ackerman, Slater and Ben Morgan at their best they have weapons a plenty in the pack and of course some classy and pacy backs. The away loss to Worcester would not have been in the plan for the Cherry & Whites and it was an uncharacteristic display. You have to credit Worcester however who still had survival to play for and put a massive amount into the game coming away deserved winners.

A lot will depend of course on the outcome of the European Champions Cup final as to what motivation Saracens will have for the semi-final playoff and also of course whether they are hit with any significant injuries. They play Exeter this Saturday in what should have been a massive show down but is now likely, at least from the Saracens side, to feature more of a second string.

Exeter by their own standards are wobbling but I think it is understandable. I often talk about the psychological side of rugby as being critical. Let’s be honest rugby hurts. A lot. To physically get yourself in the right state to go out and smash into other human beings with real intensity needs something at stake. Exeter has been comfortably into a home semi final for weeks now and that is tough for the players to find any motivation. For their game against Quins at Sandy Park they started like a train playing some sublime stuff but just could not keep up that intensity and fair play to Quins their scrum and set piece was awesome and they came right back in to nearly snatch an away win. I personally loved the reaction from Quins boss Paul Gustard when asked about an ‘unlikely’ away win. Guzzie snapped back at the reporter that he did not view Quins as the underdogs, and he believed they were just as good as Exeter. Good for him. The leader board says differently but what great motivation for his team when the boss tells the world you are as good as anyone in the league.

Come semi final time coach Rob Baxter will need to find a way to get his players back in warrior mode to make sure they are fired up for the two games that really, really matter at the end of a long season. Who will be their visitors remains to be seen with Northampton Saints looking like the likely candidates? What is notable however is that in this penultimate round of Premiership fixtures most of the games still have something riding on them. Even if this league did not have relegation with 12 competitive teams fighting for Home semis, Top 4 and Top 6 I think we can forget about too many dead rubbers.

Next season London Irish make their expected move back up to the Prem and congratulations to them. It is a very hard slog playing in the Championship with around 6 sides who will give you a hugely competitive game plus many who will just be big powerful units who will make you work for your points. Given the quality of the guys Irish are signing up the Premiership looks like it will continue to be one of the toughest rugby leagues in the world.

Final shout out to the women’s game with the Tyrells 15’s league really establishing itself as a top-quality product. The final was played out on Saturday up at Franklins Gardens with Saracens taking on Harlequins and the game was a brilliant advert for women’s rugby. Some absolute quality on show and a good size crowd there to watch. It is the fastest growing part of our game and if you have not caught much women’s rugby give it a try.

If this was prize fighting we definitely saw the heavyweight division this weekend in the European Champions Cup.    All four semi finalists had lifted the trophy more than once so these were four tea...

At times like this in the season some Directors of Rugby at Premiership clubs must wonder why on earth they ever took the job. The noise and discussion is all around the ‘R’ word and for the teams hovering in that horrible dark zone at the bottom of the table it must dominate everything else. Survival is now the name of the game. Where’s Ray Mears when you need him…

With rugby club royalty Leicester Tigers hovering just above the relegation zone there is a sense of panic in the Premier League. The last ‘big’ clubs to go down were Saints and Harlequins who survived and made it back without too much damage. The landscape has shifted however with more TV money swishing around the Prem it means squads are more expensive and you need now need those top-quality players to compete. Tumble into the Championship with a £7m wage bill and it is going to be a titanic struggle to stay afloat.  For the Premiership to be missing such big hitters as the Tigers with their 24k crowds and massive support base will also have an impact on TV viewing figures and sponsorship. Despite all that, short of a last minute panic deal to ring fence or increase the league to 13, it could happen.

Tigers face fellow struggler Newcastle Falcons on Friday night in a game that has instant ramifications for both. If Falcons lose, they will feel cut adrift with only three games to go and should Tigers lose with no bonus point they will be staring relegation full in the face.

Newcastle Falcons so very nearly came away from Allianz Park in North London with a deserved losing bonus point that just might have been crucial for survival in the league.  It was a strong Falcons side missing just a couple of key men and they took the fight to Saracens. Live wire scrum half Takulua was everywhere and the forwards fronted up well in the set piece. The issue was their inability to break down the Sarries defence which was brick wall like.

Not the most scintillating first half which felt like a defence drill for the Sarries boys and not much else. The champions were quite frankly poor with countless errors and I guess the gulf between the sides is shown by the fact they still went on to win with a bonus point. Perhaps the Sarries mid-season break - they spent three days in St Anton in party mode - just might not have led to the best training and preparation they have ever had! Throw in the absence of the likes of Mako, Billy, Jamie George, Liam Williams, Will Skelton and Alex Goode and I guess coach Mark McCall is probably relieved they escaped with the points.

My belief is even if Tigers can’t claw out a win on Friday, they still can win again this season. There is the obvious rider though that for the players the fear and tension that takes over your body in these relegation games can lead to muddled thinking and errors you would not normally make. It’s pure pressure and we have all seen top class kickers miss easy punts at goal when the heat is on or normally safe hands drop passes in cup finals. How Tigers deal with these next four games will come down to their mentality. With Mike Ford hauled into camp to add some of his big game match experience and coaching nous they are aware they needed something different. Mike did not manage to shore up the defence in the game against Exeter, but the attack and physicality was much improved. Tigers were not good enough for the high flying league leaders but play the same way in their next four games and the spectre of relegation will vanish.

For Worcester Warriors despite a good fight against Wasps they are still a candidate for the drop. Their run in looks tricksy playing teams in the Top 6 with a final game against a Saracens side that always seem to peak around this time of the year. The clink of light is they also have three home games and have shown themselves more than capable of taking on the top sides on their artificial turf. Coach Alan Solomans has them playing in a good style and you cannot doubt some of the quality he has in the squad.  Sale are travelling down the M6 and if they suffer from their normal travel sickness this could be an opportunity for Worcester to grab some vital points

Bristol still have some work to do before the champagne comes out with Saracens at home this weekend followed by Leicester away. The Tigers away game takes on the look of a massive game should both teams lose this weekend.

Elsewhere in the league I was thrilled to see Gloucester travel away to the in-form Northampton Saints and put in a big, big performance. As an ex forward, to me their pack is a thing of beauty with enough grunt, power and size to take on anybody. The backs have been good for a while but with the addition of Cipriani and strengthening of the forward pack the side looks beautifully balanced.

That valuable away win puts Glos in a fantastic position to nail a play off place which would be superb for the players and fans. It is always good to see the teams change in the top 4 and to have both Quins and Glos back up there brings excitement and some unpredictability. For me Gloucester has the best chance of upsetting the odds with a team that is now a match for Sarries and Exeter. Should Sarries reach the European finals they may be playing Gloucester in the Prem semi-final the following weekend and this could be the Cherry & Whites chance to put in a massive performance and power themselves into that final at Twickenham.  

Quarter final weekend for the Champions Cup is a big highlight in the calendar with four tasty games featuring the top sides in Europe to look forward to.

If there was a slight air of disappointment at the actual match ups that gave us teams meeting very familiar foes from their own leagues or pools - that went out of the window from the very first game.

Edinburgh have been sailing along on a wave of Richard Cockerill inspired self-belief. The ex-Leicester man has inserted some good old Tigers values into Edinburgh with the school of very tough love being the main one. Players have had to buckle down and work their socks off and the disciplined approach plus some genuine coaching nous has seen Edinburgh into a European quarter final. And they so nearly made that a semi-final too. I thought Edinburgh played such good rugby but ultimately it was the ‘cup’ team Munster who prevailed through their sheer will to win and ‘been there and done it’ attitude. Edinburgh got unlucky with a couple of decisions and when their prop put a casual shoulder into Tadgh Biernie it swung the game The Munster man went out of his way to ensure the referee knew it with a what can only be kindly interpreted as an over obvious reaction and Edinburgh learnt a harsh lesson about Europe. In big stakes games players will go right to the edge. Do we want to see players throwing themselves to the floor in rugby? Of course not. However, the lesson learnt in European rugby is that its high stakes so do not allow yourself to give the oppo a sniff to do anything like that at all. Shoeman, the Edinburgh prop, did not need to do what he did and in future knock out games I can’t see it happening again.

As for Munster – what is there left to say about this wonderful team. Their passion for this cup competition is so clear to see and as is often the case in rugby when you bring that to the table you can get over the line. They have to face up to Saracens now in the semi final but at the Ricoh Stadium where their fans will no doubt dominate, they will not go down without a fight. The Munster defence has been sensational during this cup run and Saracens will need to play a different game to break them down. Easy scores will not be given, and every Munster player will put his body on the line.

Over at Allianz Park there was a short flurry of excitement as Glasgow ran in a breathtaking try in the opening minutes and we thought we had a game on our hands. Saracens however reset and went again and proceeded to totally dominate Glasgow. The Scottish side could not live with the power of the Sarries pack aligned to slick handling and the skills of a Liam Williams, Alex Goode and indeed Jamie George. The England hooker put in a masterclass - whizzing passes out - particularly a scrum half pass to put David Strettle over for a try.

Sturart Hogg may have been regretting the choice of hair colour as his peroxide mop only served to highlight him even more when he made uncharacteristic error after error. It was a shame because he was still such a threat and showed he could unlock the Sarries defence. After the game it seemed Glasgow were dismissed as being poor but in truth this team had run Sarries very close up in Scotstoun and were in with a shout in the return pool fixture until Sarries got a couple of late tries. I had expected a bit more from them but Saracens even without new Dad Owen Farrell who was in the maternity ward were in the mood to play and when they are fully on it in European games most teams struggle to live with them. That Munster clash is starting to look very tasty indeed.

When the Leinster v Ulster quarter was announced most would have groaned. Predictable, a Pro14 regular fixture, a comfortable win for Leinster – all quite rightly would have thought. It turned into a stormer. It was a Test match like game with Ulster putting in one of their best performances for a while. Luck plays a role in rugby – of course it does – and also, we know there are some tiny little margins often between winning and losing. Jacob Stockdale the sensational Ulster winger worked his magic to put himself in a position to score a vital try and just failed to ground it. That was a momentum swinger and game changer. Leinster whilst not at their best and missing their talisman Sexton still had enough to see out the game and will have some key men back for the semi-final. The Dublin side has not looked as comfortable this year and looking at this quarter you can argue they were beforehand comfortable favourites. No one however will remember that if they go on to lift the trophy again in Newcastle.

The most entertaining game of the weekend was the all French affair which if you did not see it I recommend you try and find online and give it a watch. Drama all over the place with a red card for Toulouse in the first 20 minutes which contributed to a ‘throw caution to the wind’ approach and some quite scintillating rugby. The red card has ceased to be the game killer it used to be and whilst there is no doubt it is horrendously difficult to win with a man down there have been enough times it has been done to show it can also galvanise a team who feel hard done by.

Toulouse in Racing 92’s raucous and disco style stadium played stupendous rugby and Racing who physiologically thought they had ‘got this’ found themselves struggling to contain them. Why of why can’t the French national team play like this? Toulouse for their reward now get an away semi against Leinster which seems a little harsh! The new rules however state home country semi finals go to the higher seeds and Leinster therefore are once again back in the comforts of the Aviva stadium.

Is it just me or has Challenge Cup rugby got much more exciting? The quality of some of the teams on show has led to such cracking games and as nice as it was to see the quarters, I could have wished for a few more of the pool games to get a bit of airtime. Sides such as Clermont, La Rochelle, Connacht, Northampton and Quins surely merit that. The semis see Harlequins having to travel out to Clermont and Sale Sharks also take a trip out to France to face La Rochelle. Tough assignments for both those teams and you would not be surprised to see an all French final. Sale have a small squad and an eye on the Premiership league position plus Quins also want desperately to stay in a playoff place and get a tilt at the Premiership title.

So passports away now folks for the next two weeks as the Premiership starts its home run and with so much still on the line for most of the teams expect fireworks and more drama to come.

The Six Nations is all over and the relentlessness of the Gallagher Premiership was shown clearly this last weekend as tired returning internationals were shoved straight back into the starting fiftee...

Warren Gatland and his magnificent men in red had a weekend of epic proportions. Grand Slams are rare old beasts for a reason given how dam tough they are but all along Gatland predicted that if Wales beat France away in the opening game they would go on and bag yet another title. Gatts has now got to be up there as one of the most revered and respected coaches in the world. Having worked with him at Wasps I know what the man offers, and it is a lot. He is a smart tactician and brilliant man manager and Wales have truly benefitted from having him at the helm. It has been quite a ride he has taken Wales on and with the World Cup on the horizon it is Gatland, rather than Eddie Jones, who has steadily built, plotted and planned and got his side in the perfect place to make an assault on the Rugby World Cup.

As Saturday unfolded at Twickenham the English nation went into deep shock. We couldn’t possibly lose this. Could we? We certainly could. The Scots came thundering back in a second half that was right up there as one of the best sporting comebacks in history.

There have been reams of anguished prose churned out and in-depth analysis on radio and podcasts picking apart what went wrong but it was probably just a tiny shift in momentum at the end of the first half that ended up causing the ensuing carnage. That charge down try jump started the Scotland team and then allowed the momentum to propel them into a magnificent come back, Disaster for England as their game totally crumbled and Scotland grew and grew in self-belief to oh so nearly snatch an incredible, historic win.

Are England mentally weak is the question so many are asking. That is a strong statement and harsh on a group of players who have shown passion, desire and strength of character. Leadership is still lacking with just not quite enough gnarly older heads who have seen it all before. Farrell is improving as a captain, but it is a heavy burden to be fly half and captain and there is a reason why it is rare to combine the two. Perhaps Maro Itoje or Jamie George should have been looked at and groomed for the role as both have captained at club level and Maro at England U20’s.

 It was a little too easy for England in the first half when they played with almost outrageous confidence off loading the ball and slicing open Scotland at will. But the game was also played at searing pace. This meant when England went onto the back foot, they could not find the emotional and physical energy they needed to fight the resurgent Scots. When you throw away a big lead it mentally and physically drains you. For Scotland however that feeling of closing the gap on your opposition must have been revitalising and energy giving.

England were superb in that first 30 minutes and over the whole Six Nations had just two poor halves.  I would not be writing the obituaries yet for this England side who have also demonstrated they can score tries and plenty of them. Long criticised for an inability to get over the whitewash it now looks like what is needed is some rebalancing between attack and defence and then just maybe England will go into the World Cup in good shape.

Mixed feelings I am sure for Ireland with self doubt now swirling around the team. In some ways they may have peaked too early but they also will surely reset, refocus and under the inimitable Joe Schmidt turn back into that ruthless green machine that dominated last year. What was looking originally like an easy pool in the World Cup and a guaranteed quarter final slot will now look a shade harder with Scotland quite rightly believing they have every chance of elbowing Ireland out of that top spot.

I really felt for Italy this Championship as they were so close to gaining some victories yet ended with the wooden spoon yet again. It was cruel timing for coach Connor O Shea as the last couple of months have seen players skittled by injuries leaving an already small squad patchy and threadbare in places. Promising signes there were aplenty with the Italian attack looking sharper and more skilful and some new young talent beginning to shine.

As for our enigmatic friends the French we are no better informed about where they are in this crucial year. Shambolic on and off the pitch they may be but oh boy do they have talent. As admirable a thing it is to keep appointing French coaches surely by now the FFR see the need to bring in some fresh thinking and experience from other parts of the world.

The Six Nations 2019 table only tells half the story and if at times the rugby was not of the highest standard the drama never flagged. It is now back this weekend to Premiership rugby which will have virtually every side jostling for league position. Returning internationals will no doubt be straight back into club colours to help gain crucial points with many then running out in European quarter finals the week after. The Six Nations may be over but the drama is not.

First things first, let us start this week’s blog off with a visual aid…

The various permutations of this 6N are truly incredible! Okay then, so now that’s all cleared up let us get down to the bus...