1) Gopperth’s gabbing almost costs Wasps dear
Wasps were comfortably holding on to their 13-5 lead in the second half, looking far more likely to score than concede, when an attack on Northampton’s 22 ended when the referee, Luke Pearce, awarded the home side a penalty. He had taken exception to advice shouted at him by Jimmy Gopperth who, along with Danny Cipriani, had been warned in the first half for turning up the volume. The Saints used the decision to play their way downfield and, eventually, reduced the deficit to one point. Had Courtney Lawes not dropped an admittedly poor pass with two men free outside him with four minutes left, Gopperth would have been left to reflect on how words can now cost in the Premiership, with officials told to crack down on dissent and verbal abuse. He would have had no sympathy from his director of rugby, Dai Young, who while acknowledging that it is as difficult for players not to shout at a referee when they feel an opponent should be penalised, points out that they have been made aware of the consequences of loose lips and should not be allowed to fulminate like footballers. Another focus for referees is simulation and Ben Foden, who, after being clattered late by Nathan Hughes, had a look at the sidelines before writhing around in pain and was fortunate the officials did not pick it up as they reviewed the challenge. Paul Rees
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2) Williams shines for Leicester as Tuilagi’s absence continues
The last time Bath won at Welford Road in the league was in the same year that Martin Johnson lifted the World Cup. They seldom looked like bucking that trend on Sunday as the Tigers rediscovered the bite and aggression that had been only fleetingly apparent so far this season. The good news is that, in Mike Williams, they have an England squad candidate (albeit with Zimbabwean heritage) who could well develop into a very useful player for the national coach, Eddie Jones. The bad news is that Manu Tuilagi will not be seen in a Tigers shirt until at least November, with his troublesome groin needing at least another six weeks to heal properly, according to Richard Cockerill. Tuilagi only returned in January from a 15-month absence caused by an injury known as Gilmore’s groin and has subsequently suffered two separate hamstring complaints and a knee issue; it is now more than two years since his last international start. One other statistical footnote; a crowd of 20,134 watched the game against Bath, down almost 4,000 on the Saturday attendance of 24,088 against Wasps a fortnight earlier. Either Wasps were responsible for most of those extra punters or the Sunday roasts in the pubs of Leicestershire are seriously good. Robert Kitson
3) Farrell may benefit from England break as injury drags on
Owen Farrell does not seem the type to switch off from rugby easily. Again he was ruled out for Saracens – and this time they did miss him, with Alex Lozowski not enjoying the best of days – as his back and hip problems continue. That did not stop him making the trip to The Stoop – and before kick-off there he was in his training gear, the disappointment at not being involved evident. After the match Saracens’ director of rugby, Mark McCall, chose his words carefully when stating that Farrell had trained all week but the player himself did not quite feel right and with a season that is unlikely to end until after the Lions’ tour to New Zealand, there is no point in rushing him back prematurely. It does, however, mean that Eddie Jones, who was in the crowd to cast his eye over a host of his players, is likely to include Farrell in his autumn internationals’ squad on Friday, without the fly-half – or inside-centre for England – having played this season. There is plenty of time for Farrell to prove his fitness but, as demonstrated in the autumn of 2014, he can be scratchy without a run of games under his belt. Perhaps he would benefit more from a rest, while Jones may also profit from assessing other options in the No12 jersey. Gerard Meagher
4) Lamb shows both sides of game in thrilling draw
With only one success between them this season, Worcester and Sale appear to have forgotten just how to win matches. Both put themselves in a position to win an enthralling encounter at Sixways only to throw away the opportunity. Sale led by 17 points to five early on, aided by Ryan Lamb, who summed up his recent mixed form with an ill-judged pass that was intercepted by Will Addison for his second try, and a gem of a delivery for Perry Humphreys to regain the lead. Worcester’s head coach, Carl Hogg, said: “With ball in hand Ryan can really move teams around and really distort defences. Yes, there were one or two errors in that game but that’s part of Ryan’s makeup. He can make things happen when he’s got ball in hand.” Lamb did steer Warriors into a 31-17 lead, passing 1,000 points in the process, that should have safely secured a first league victory since March – only for missed chances and a collective lapse allowing Sale’s fly-half AJ MacGinty to engineer a 34-34 draw. Sale’s director of rugby, Steve Diamond, said afterwards: “We showed a lot of resolve because I thought 31-17 was too much and we should start getting some big players back soon.” Matt Lloyd
5) Bristol learning on the job in unforgiving Premiership
The Premiership has so far proved an unforgiving playground for Bristol. Four defeats out of four, with a looming Friday night fixture against the reigning European and Premiership champions, Saracens, is an inauspicious start and the club are also investigating an outbreak of alcohol-fuelled fighting in the South Stand at the end of their latest loss to Exeter. At least their scrum and maul is solid, the crowd of more than 15,000 underlining an enduring appetite for rugby in the city and there are some potentially winnable fixtures beyond Saracens. “We’re learning our lessons against the best teams in the league,” stressed Andy Robinson, Bristol’s director of rugby. “Hopefully when we play Worcester, Newcastle and Sale we’ll be better prepared.” Exeter, for their part, have bounced back swiftly from two early defeats and are pledging to give it a go against Northampton this Friday, having not fired many shots on their past couple of visits to Franklin’s Gardens. Given Jack Nowell and Dave Ewers have yet to take the field in the league this season, the Chiefs look likely to become an increasing handful for all their opponents. RK
6) Gloucester fall into same old trap
Taking nothing away from the performance of Newcastle, who warranted a rare away victory, but the sense of deflation at Gloucester is palpable. David Humphreys’ side welcomed the Falcons to Kingsholm on the back of an impressive victory at Sale but failed to back it against a side who were lower than them in the table. That was identified as one of Gloucester’s key problems over the summer but compare Saturday’s performance to that against Leicester – or at least the first half – and it is clear that Gloucester have no problem raising their game for the heavy hitters but, as in March and April last season, sides below them all too often prevail. A mention too for Dominic Waldouck – such a highly rated centre when coming through the Wasps ranks with Danny Cipriani, only to suffer no end of terrible luck with injury. He was Newcastle’s first try-scorer on the day and can swiftly become a key asset for the Falcons if he can maintain his fitness. GM
