1) Northampton need a fit North – and soon
It was just a footnote on Saturday amid Northampton’s countless woes at Twickenham but George North injured himself in his first involvement after coming off the bench earlier than expected in his first appearance for 11 weeks. With North replacing Ahsee Tuala in the first half, he battled on before he was himself replaced with 15 minutes to go and afterwards the Saints interim coach, Alan Dickens, was unsure of the extent of what he believed was a knee injury. Alan Gaffney takes over until the end of the season on Monday with a huge number of issues to address. It is debatable whether Northampton have ever got the best out of North but the veteran Australian coach could certainly do with the Wales wing being fit before he leaves for the Six Nations. Gerard Meagher
2) Rec classic was excellent advert for the Premiership
It is not often that more than 50 points are scored in a Premiership match without a penalty kicked at goal but while the two defence coaches may not have thoroughly enjoyed themselves, Wasps’ victory over Bath was among the most entertaining encounters of the season. As the Bath director of rugby, Todd Blackadder, pointed out, Wasps kick from hand the least of all the Premiership teams and with Bath possessing some electric runners themselves, Friday’s match was an excellent advert for the league. Wasps face Saracens on Sunday at the Ricoh Arena and will almost certainly find a more aggressive defence and therefore space limited. But the spirit in which their match against Bath was played out in front of a packed house at The Rec was a reminder there is plenty of skill in the Premiership, even in midwinter. GM
3) Richards laments Newcastle’s travel trouble
Newcastle moved to fifth with their first league victory at London Irish since 2009 but their fourth away win of the campaign did not overly impress their director of rugby, Dean Richards. He felt the late change in the club’s travel arrangements, a seven-hour coach journey on Friday replacing a fight to Heathrow that became the victim of the weather, cost them a bonus point as they faded as an attacking force in the second half. Newcastle may have lost some of their attacking verve of last season – only Irish have scored fewer points in this season’s Premiership – but they are more selective now, better at being compact defensively and possess a rapacious back row. Their flanker Gary Graham is spending this week training with the England squad in Brighton, having started last year in the Championship with Jersey Reds. “I am pleased for him,” Richards said. “He does not take a backward step and is very hard-nosed about the way he plays.” Paul Rees
4) Worcester must now focus on securing talent
The Warriors can begin the new year free from too many relegation worries, with a 10-point cushion between themselves and the bottom club London Irish. The task for their new director of rugby, Alan Solomons, is to secure the contract signatures of a number of key players. Among the most important is Will Spencer, the 25-year-old former Bath lock who is on Eddie Jones’s radar and who had a cameo against the Barbarians last year. Leicester are just one club interested in bolstering their pack with a rugged second-rower who missed Saturday’s defeat at Saracens with a back injury but has been outstanding in Worcester’s recent revival and is unlucky not to be in Jones’s training squad in Brighton this week. Ian Malin
5) Ackermann’s arrival has decorated Gloucester
Gloucester finished the year fourth in the table and remain unbeaten at home this season after coming from behind to pip a Sale side who are becoming increasingly difficult to beat. It was a victory that showed their coach, Johan Ackermann, what remains to be done, not least in decision-making, but the swagger has returned to Kingsholm after years of more downs than ups. Ackermann is making the difference at Gloucester that he did with the Lions in South Africa but his employers do not view him as a miracle man. “What we are seeing is the result of foundations laid over the last three years,” the club’s chief executive, Stephen Vaughan, said. “The work done by David Humphreys as director of rugby, the coaches, the strength and conditioning team and the academy is now showing. Johan is the icing on the cake and he has got everyone enjoying life again.” PR
6) Leicester seek rapid upswing after year to forget
For all the deserved applause Exeter are receiving – 53 points from a possible 55 at home in the Premiership in 2017 is a remarkable stat – these are once again uncertain times for Leicester supporters. Six defeats on the spin in all competitions is the Tigers’ worst run for 52 years and not all of their woes can be attributed to the relentless nature of their fixture list. The back five of their scrum is nothing like as formidable as in the club’s glory days and even with some big-name backs returning from injury they are not gelling as an attacking unit. “The only thing we can do is work harder,” Leicester’s director of rugby, Matt O’Connor, said, acknowledging that defeats were starting to undermine everyone’s confidence. “It takes its toll. We have to pick ourselves up and make sure next week at home [to London Irish] we are really good.” For a club of Leicester’s stature, the year 2017 has been nowhere near good enough. Robert Kitson
