There was a lot of speculation this summer as to how 20-year
old Ford will do in Bath colours after moving to The Rec after spending five
years at Leicester Tigers, but Friday night might have silenced some doubters.
The young fly-half was the star of the show as his new club travelled to
Newcastle in torrid conditions. He kicked 11 points and played the elements
superbly, constantly putting the Falcons on the back foot and making them play
out of their own half. If he keeps this up, Ford will be in prime position to
join England’s EPS squad in the near future.
New scrum laws will
come good eventually
It’s safe to say that there has been a lot of controversy
over the new scrum laws and whether they will make the game better or worse,
but over the weekend there were promising signs that the laws will have a
positive outcome. A few scrums needed reset as players adapted to the new rules,
but the majority turned out ok. Saracens were one team that took full advantage
of the quick ball to send Billy Vunipola crashing over the gainline.
Dylan Hartley is
atoning for his recent mistakes
To say Dylan Hartley has a chequered past when it comes to
discipline is a bit of an understatement, especially after his sending off in
last season’s Premiership final, but
there is no doubting that he is a talented captain and player. He led from the
front on Saturday’s dismissal of Exeter, scoring his team’s first try and
covering the whole pitch to make an inspirational nuisance of himself.
BT Sport have started
well
BT Sport made an impressive debut during the opening round
of the Premiership. They have a whole host of talent to fall back on and offer
insightful views, including; Martin Bayfield, Matt Dawson, Lawrence Dallaglio,
Austin Healey and Ben Kay, and whether you love them or hate them, there is no
uncertainty in the fact that the new pitchside interviews and camera angles
offer the rugby fan something they’ve never been able to get before.
It’s going to be a
mixed season for the northern teams
Dean Richards and Newcastle received a harsh reminder of
what life is like in the Premiership as they conceded 21 unanswered points at
home to Bath. They were dominated upfront and they are going to have to improve
before Friday, when they head 150 miles down the M1 to face a Sale team who
caused the upset of the round after defeating Gloucester 22-16 at Kingsholm.
Sale themselves looked solid enough upfront and had enough about themselves in
the backs to cross the line twice and concede only once.
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