1) Swarming Wasps may be a sign of things to come
In the modern era, back divisions don’t come much lighter on their feet than Wasps’ on Saturday. While we’re at it, we might throw in their back row too: three men in Sam Jones, Thomas Young and Guy Thompson who would each tick the pace box when you’re considering the balance of that department. The way Wasps pulled Leicester into uncomfortable poses throughout an exhilarating encounter at Welford Road owed much to Wasps’ speed of foot, hand and thought.
There is a theory that the weight of the modern rugby player, which has increased so dramatically over the past few decades, has reached a peak – indeed, it may already be coming down again. Today’s players, whatever the size, are so powerful that they can pretty much all stop your Billy Vunipolas if they concentrate hard enough. According to this theory, the premium on speed and change of direction is rising, not to mention intelligence. Wasps are a case in point. Joe Simpson, Danny Cipriani, Jimmy Gopperth, Elliot Daly, Rob Miller, Christian Wade – these are players who keep you guessing. At times, they carved Leicester up. All power to them. Michael Aylwin
2) Defending champions Saracens look imperious already
Champion teams are supposed to become juicy targets for their rivals, particularly away from home against decent opposition. Saracens’s five-star display in Devon blew that theory to smithereens as they scored five tries and beat the Chiefs even more convincingly than they did in last season’s Premiership final. When a side does not appear to miss the likes of Owen Farrell, George Kruis, Duncan Taylor, Chris Wyles, Henry Fraser and the retired Charlie Hodgson it is reasonable to assume their squad is growing ever-stronger in all departments. Already there is a decent side bet to be had on when, if at all, they will lose this side of Christmas; even Toulon, who are in their same European pool, will be fearing the worst if they maintain their current focus and hunger. Robert Kitson
3) Humphreys shines for Worcester in topsy-turvy derby draw
The first draw of the Premiership season will definitely not be the last. The margins grow ever slimmer and when Gloucester are playing, their supporters have long since learned that anything is possible. They were fortunate here that the red card for Alafoti Fa’osiliva tilted a game that looked to be Worcester’s for the taking, particularly after their 21-year-old replacement Perry Humphreys had scored an eye-catching try, after coming on for a concussed Ben Te’o. Judging by the pace, athleticism and determination which took him past three would-be tacklers, Humphreys is very much a talent to keep an eye on. RK
4) Ashton Gate can give Bristol a base for top-flight stay
Before the start of the season, Bristol felt their prospects of staying up would be enhanced if they could tempt supporters through the turnstiles at Ashton Gate. There were more than 11,000 here for the visit of Northampton: while the Saints have a large travelling support, they are not the greatest draw card in the top flight. The attendance was almost double last season’s average in the Championship, but below what club officials had anticipated. There was an atmosphere, despite Northampton’s domination of the opening half, contrasting with the morgue that the Kassam Stadium became when London Welsh were in occupation, and the echo chamber that was the Madejski Stadium last season as London Irish slipped out of the top flight. Bristol have a base, but may need to tap their financial resources to help ensure their return to the top flight after seven years is not a short one. They have yet to sign a marquee player and while their opening two matches have been defeats, they have shown enough that any investment would not be short-term. The prospect of survival is not fanciful. Paul Rees
5) Ford dazzles to send Bath expectations soaring
George Ford endured mixed fortunes for both England and Bath last season, culminating in the departure of his father from the Rec. As Bath’s new director of rugby Todd Blackadder noted, every young number 10 “has to go through turbulent times” to learn, but just needs some faith from his coach. Perhaps it was a note to Eddie Jones. There was nothing flash about Ford’s performance against Newcastle, but it was as close to flawless as opposition director of rugby Dean Richards could recall in recent times.
“Ford was outstanding, by far the best player on the pitch. He ran the show. That’s probably as a complete a performance as you get,” said Richards. Bath have often flattered to deceive but under Blackadder there are the makings of a mentally tough side that can show the stuff of champions. They were ruthless when Newcastle had Vereniki Goneva shown a (possibly harsh) yellow card, scoring three tries in eight minutes by half-time. At 32-0, Bath could easily have taken the proverbial foot off the pedal in the second half, but instead pressed it down even harder. As a result, four more tries followed, including two for Dave Attwood who was chasing an unlikely hat-trick, as Bath racked up their biggest winning margin in the Premiership for 15 years.
“That mindset was the most pleasing thing about this performance. To keep going and pushing is all about mental toughness,” said Blackadder, who has set the bar unrealistically high in his first game in charge at the Rec. Expectations at a trophy-hungry club will now only sky-rocket. Matt Lloyd
6) Sale’s Mugford shows there is talent in the Championship
But for a slightly fortunate opening weekend win over Bristol at Twickenham, Harlequins would have lost both of their first two games. Sale, on the other hand, were a missed late penalty away from defeating Newcastle and took full advantage of Harlequins’ second-half indiscipline to chalk up a 19-10 home victory in Salford. Even without their former Connacht fly-half AJ MacGinty, missing with a strained hamstring, and the departed Danny Cipriani, they still had a matchwinner in Dan Mugford, late of Nottingham, who kicked four penalties and a conversion to make up for his last-gasp miss at Kingston Park. Mugford shows that there are plenty of good players in the Championship, for those prepared to go and look for them. RK
• Robert Kitson: Richmond are a reminder of Premiership’s unfairness
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