Bursting into the New Year
The first weekend of 2024 saw several top-flight matches as clubs entered the second half of their seasons with a lot to play for,
In the English Gallagher Premiership, the weekend’s matches proved just how open a tournament this is with Northampton Saints moving back on top after a thrilling 42-36 win over Exeter Chiefs. Exeter’s young, outperforming team raced to 26 point lead after 24 minutes earning a 4-try bonus point before Saints had even warmed up. But, in a testament to Northampton’s players and coaching staff, the visitors gradually reeled them back in and scored plenty of tries to walk away with a 5-point win. Victories for Harlequins and Bath took them to 2nd and 3rd respectively while Sale’s strong run was dented by a loss to the Bristol Bears. Only 4 points separate the top 4 but the gap is widening for teams lower down the table - no time to waste! - the next round is January 26-28.
For the next 2 weekends, Rounds 3 and 4 of the Investec Champions Cup will be played across Europe. After Rounds 1 & 2, Pool 1 sees Bordeaux and Lyon in the top 2 spots; Pool 2, Stade Toulousain and Bath; Pool 3, Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs; and Pool 4, Leinster and Leicester Tigers. After the final match on January 21, the top 4 in each Pool will go to the Round of 16 to be played in mid-April. From there it’s knockout until the Final on May 25th in London.
America’s Major League Rugby (MLR) is only 2 months away from the start of its 7th season with 18 rounds of matches scheduled between the 11 teams in the League, ending in late June. The top 8 teams will participate in a championship series during the summer. Two teams left the League during the off-season - the New York Ironworkers and the Toronto Arrows - one team has changed venue (Atlanta’s team has moved to LA) - and one expansion team (the Miami Sharks) kicks off its inaugural season. MLR’s organizers will be looking for an exciting series to boost spectator interest ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics (7-a-side), the LA Olympics in July 2028 and, of course, the US-hosted Rugby World Cups in 2031 (Men’s) and 2033 (Women’s).
Skills development: in the Exeter/Saints match up this weekend, a Saints player threw what can only be called a “bounce pass” to a colleague out on the wing it was not going to reach him but, as afficionados of the game know, a bouncing rugby ball can go anywhere and the advantage is with the attacker. As the commentary team mentioned, it was a nightmare to defend and led to a crucial 7 points for Northampton in this thriller of a match. Apparently they practice this.
Six Nations: England and Ireland are set to announce their squads for the upcoming international tournament which kicks off on Friday, February 2.