1) Pearce’s calm approach with the whistle a refreshing change
He’s pretty new on the scene – and he looks barely old enough to be shaving – but here’s to Luke Pearce, the referee at Franklin’s Gardens. If the match between Northampton and Saracens was far removed from the kind of rugby we became used to at the World Cup, so was Pearce’s handling of a bit of afters compared to the scattergun approach to discipline pursued by the big showpiece’s referees. Technically, according to directives handed down from on high, he was probably wrong but what a refreshing change it was to see a referee react calmly and reasonably towards some off-the-ball shoving that did no one any harm. Tom Wood hit Owen Farrell with a late tackle. Not very late, it should be said, but Farrell was particularly bothered that it was his knee that bore the brunt of it. He pulled Wood’s collar, shoved him, then shoved him again with an open palm to the side of the face. Wood laughed and trotted back into position. Pearce reviewed it and was adamant the shove was harmless and unworthy of punishment. His lack of action did come as a surprise – but a nice one. Had Farrell been a Canadian, say, or a Fijian, at the World Cup, he would no doubt be looking at a ban. Let’s hope Pearce’s way proves the one ahead. Michael Aylwin
2) Exeter can be a European threat
Is Premiership form an accurate guide to success in Europe? Not always but Exeter look in the mood to give it a real crack in Pool 2 of the Champions’ Cup. Their forwards are big and physical, their backs play with pace and intent and they are not second in the Premiership table by accident. They certainly impressed the Leicester flanker Lachlan McCaffrey during their 19-6 win over Leicester at Sandy Park on Saturday. “I think they’ll beat a lot of sides down here. They’re a quality side … they played good rugby and were too good for us.” The Chiefs’ head coach, Rob Baxter, is also quietly optimistic that defeating the Tigers in the league for the first time since 2012 will fuel his side’s belief still further. “I think we overcame some mental demons as much as some physical ones. We can really enjoy the next couple of weeks now. Europe’s something we can really go after and enjoy trying to be successful in. You’re not going to get relegated from it; instead you can rattle other teams, make things awkward and give yourself a fighting chance.” Robert Kitson
• Ex-Tiger Salvi impressed by clear-headed team-mates at Exeter
3) There is certainly life after Burgess at Bath
Rhys Priestland endured a mixed afternoon on his first Bath start. A late try was preceded by one dreadful first-half penalty before he was replaced on kicking duty – although Bath’s head coach, Mike Ford, said afterwards that a niggle was to blame. Ford was, however, glowing in his praise of the Welshman and spoke of the options he has, with Priestland, in his mind, able to cover at 12. It will take the 28-year-old a while to get used to playing as flat as Bath want him to – he has another half a metre to go according to Ford – but with Kyle Eastmond, George Ford, Ollie Devoto and the currently injured Jonathan Joseph in the mix, not to mention the livewire scrum-half Nikola Matawalu – when his team-mates have a better understanding of what he is about to do – it is no surprise that Sam Burgess was never going to be part of a back line that should be back to its very best in the coming months. London Irish’s future does not look nearly as bright but they did cause Bath numerous problems with their driving maul and it should reap more reward as the season progresses. Gerard Meagher
• Bath blossom without Burgess in emphatic win at London Irish
• Ford says Burgess would have stayed in union without England call-up
• Bath expect Louw to step in for Burgess against Toulon
4) Worcester more than relegation fodder
Dean Ryan asked for a bit more respect after a second home win of the season took Worcester’s points tally to 10 for the season. They also picked up a losing bonus point in defeat at Gloucester. Harder tests await but Ryan is justified in taking umbrage with those that have talked about his side as relegation fodder – Donncha O’Callaghan and Phil Dowson were particularly shrewd summer signings and it does not take a genius to work out that winning your home games will make you competitive. Newcastle, defeated at Sixways are, like London Irish, still pointless from their first four matches but both sides have the requisite quality for the Premiership. Having bemoaned the doomed nature of London Welsh’s campaign last season we should rejoice in the competitiveness of the Premiership this year. GM
5) Smith could be one of the signings of the season
Disappointed as Dai Young was with his side’s failure to force home their advantage after their opponents, Gloucester, were reduced to 14 men early in the second half at the Ricoh Arena, the Wasps director of rugby can only have been pleased with the steeliness of a defence that kept the visitors scoreless in the first half and restricted them to a single penalty in the second. George Smith, with 15 tackles, was every bit as impressive as one would expect of a flanker with 111 international caps to his name – only Richie McCaw has more in that position – and unlike during the previous week’s defeat at Leicester, the Australian managed to stay on the right side of the referee during the scrambles for possession that resulted. This indicated either a remarkable readiness and ability to adapt on the part of a very experienced player or of course, a slightly different interpretation of legality on the part of the official. All of which may become clear during Wasps’ European Rugby Champions Cup match at Leinster on Sunday but if the Wallaby proves to have already made the necessary tweaks to his game demanded by northern hemisphere referees, he will surely be one of the signings of the season. Richard Rae
• Piutau makes instant impact as Wasps sweep Gloucester aside
