Aviva Premiership- Approaching Half Distance

By Whaley Shark
December 7 2013

This time last year, we’d played ten rounds of the Aviva Premiership, 5 home games and 5 away, and amassed the mighty total of 6 points. So I thought I’d play the statto a bit and try and compare this season’s much improved performance with last year’s…….

For season 2012-13, we had

Played 10 Won 1, Lost 9, Try BPs 0, Losing BPs 2

Points for 129, points against 232

Tries for 12, tries against 22

AP points 6

 

For this season, we have

Played 9 Won 4, Lost 5, Try BPs 1, Losing BPs 3

Points for 159, points against 175

Tries for 14, tries against 15

AP points 20

 

That’s consistent with my general impression that we have tightened up in defence. We have leaked fewer tries such that, even in defeat, we stand a better chance of a losing bonus (LBP in 60% of defeats this season, compared with 22% of defeats last year). There’s still the odd tonking but even in those, for example away to Saints, we seem to have played with spirit, and not simply looked like 5 points waiting to be gifted to the opposition. I’m not sure there’s any great significance in our slightly higher try scoring rate this season, though.

Equally, we have misfired on occasion- most obviously against Exeter and Falcons at home. Maybe that’s only to be expected in a side recovering from the traumas of last season, but I am cautiously optimistic. Certainly, when we give it a go as we did at Allianz Park last weekend, we can give anyone a fright and we should at least be treated with respect. I also think we look like a team this season and, as someone who’s instinctively quite conservative, I am growing to appreciate Danny Cipriani’s talents more and more.

My prediction for the rest of the season though– a slight deterioration in form. We seem to have a fair number of casualties at the moment and some pretty hard games in the second half of the season, and I think those’ll combine to see us home in lower mid-table comfort- seventh or eighth. Whether there will be anything European to qualify for anyway, who knows?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A 232 F 129

 

 

 

22-12

 

 

 

 

 

 

175 159 14 TF 15 TA

 

 

Nine rounds, five home, four away 4 wins, 20 points, try bonus, 3 LBP