Quins Feel Pain, Russell Prevails & Tigers Tear It Up - Prem Talking Points

By

BBC Sport rugby national news reporter

Bonus points caught immoderate flak astatine nan extremity of nan Six Nations.

Had champions France drawn their high-scoring crippled against England successful nan last round, alternatively than winning it by 1 point, they would person vanished apical of nan standings contempt having won 1 less lucifer than second-placed Ireland.

However, nan conception came bully astatine nan extremity of Leicester's triumph complete Bristol connected Sunday.

With nan timepiece successful nan red, Leicester 28-19 up and each squad having scored 3 tries, nan Bears were attacking difficult heavy wrong nan host's half.

Bristol couldn't triumph nan game, but a effort would present them 2 prize points and support them wrong 1 of Leicester successful nan array and nan title for a top-four finish.

When replacement Tigers' hooker Finn Theobald-Thomas turned complete nan ball, it seemed Leicester would return nan money and footwear to touch.

Their coach Geoff Parling surely thought so.

"Could you not perceive maine astatine nan end? I wanted america to footwear it off," he said later.

Instead, contempt nan remainder of nan backline opinionated level and fatigued and nan left-hand touchline invitingly close, Izaia Perese flung a agelong walk nan different way.

Freddie Steward caught it, kicked a pinpoint explosive crossed to Billy Searle, who fed wrong to Gabriel Hamer-Webb to streak successful to unafraid Leicester's ain four-try bonus.

It was a sensational finish.

And Tigers are a batch much safely entrenched successful nan apical 4 because of it – 4 points clear of fifth.

It besides points to a displacement successful style for Leicester. There was plentifulness of their accepted difficult separator successful a tussle of a game, but besides moments of 24-carat sparkle.

They made much cleanable breaks than nan free-wheeling Bristol, much offloads and, 20 minutes earlier Hamer-Webb's try, almost scored an moreover amended 1 down nan different wing, attacking from deep, pinch Joaquin Moro spilling successful show of nan line.

"The players consciousness free to definitive themselves, our crippled is evolving," said Parling.

On nan backmost of a Prem Rugby Cup triumph and 7 wins successful their past 8 Prem games, past year's runners-up are rolling impressively.

The large tie connected nan Bath v Saracens undercard was host's number 8 Alfie Barbeary taking connected Bordeaux-Begles-bound Tom Willis, who he will switch successful North London adjacent season.

In nan end, it was Josh Bayliss, afloat of power and acceleration, who shone brightest successful nan backmost row, beating much defenders than immoderate different subordinate successful nan Prem this weekend.

But, pinch Owen Farrell backmost astatine fly-half and Finn Russell consecutive backmost into nan fray aft nan Six Nations, 2 aged adversaries were reunited astatine 10.

Initially it looked for illustration Farrell would person his day. He clipped complete a punishment to put nan visitors 10 points clear wrong 4th of an hour.

Even closing successful connected half-time, Saracens were good successful it pinch possession, territory and only six points to make up.

But Henry Arundell intercepted Farrell's walk to title nether nan sticks, and from location nan crippled was gone.

Russell slotted a punishment to return it retired to 16 points astatine nan interval and laid connected 2 second-half tries, pinch his accelerated hands releasing Arundell and past a sublime dummy sending Willis skidding retired shape left.

At 1 point, Russell, who has had plentifulness of Calcutta Cup run-ins pinch Farrell, aimed a motion astatine nan visitors suggesting they proceed 'crying' complete a punishment decision.

With Bath playing pinch much width and ruthlessness – 9 tries from 17 visits to nan Saracens 22m – immoderate of nan pre-Six Nations concerns complete nan defending champions were allayed.

For Saracens, 8 points disconnected 4th and surely retired of nan play-off equation for different year, it is an unsettling time.

A procreation of promising youngsters will mesh pinch established internationals and large signings adjacent season, pinch Leicester's George Martin and Gloucester's Tomos Williams joining Barbeary successful switching.

Where will Farrell fresh in?

It was absorbing to statement that nan 34-year-old, whose begetter Andy has been linked pinch nan Saracens' apical occupation station Australia 2027, was coaching nan club's fringe broadside successful nan Prem Rugby Cup while attraction was connected nan Six Nations.

Even Marcus Smith's personalised boots – featuring Quins' diamonds successful nan colours of England and nan Philippines, Baybayin calligraphy and Jasmine blossom – couldn't distract from his team's troubles.

Another eyesore location defeat, this clip to Gloucester, trim them adrift of nan apical 8 and a European spot for adjacent season.

In fact, fixed Newcastle's upward trajectory, they will beryllium grateful that relegation is not a unrecorded concern.

The Red Bulls are 4 points disconnected Quins.

Coach Jason Gilmore's post-match comments astir utilizing nan remainder of nan run to tune up ahead of 2026-27's pre-season, understandably drew ire.

But, you tin spot his point. Gilmore, stepping successful aft Danny Wilson's eve-of-season departure, has held nan caput coach domiciled connected an interim basis

Quins request to get nan apical occupation right.

Former Australia coach Robbie Deans is reportedly lined up to beryllium a consultant., external Ex All Blacks leader Scott Robertson, who will coach nan Barbarians crossed nan roadworthy astatine nan Allianz Stadium successful June, has been mentioned.

There is immoderate promising talent to beryllium tapped into.

Twenty-one-year-old Ben Waghorn, a personnel of England's 2024 under-20 World Cup-winning squad, threw disconnected a clutch of Gloucester defenders connected his measurement to his first Prem try. Midfield partner Bryn Bradley, 22, is from a akin hard-running mould. Lucas Friday, 19, is simply a scrum-half of immense potential.

Quins' limbo down nan convention is possibly nan value worthy paying for taking nan clip needed to get nan personification pinch nan expertise to move nan tanker around.

It could get worse earlier it gets amended arsenic well.

Their 7 remaining matches see distant trips to high-flying Bristol and Bath, section revenge-seeking rivals Saracens and, connected 10 May, Newcastle.

Stephen Jones, promoted to caput coach for nan remainder of nan season, has brought style and intent to Newcastle Red Bulls' attack.

The Prem's bottommost broadside pushed convention leaders Northampton difficult astatine Franklin's Gardens, scoring 4 tries and missing retired by a azygous constituent successful a 28-27 defeat.

In Harrison Obatoyinbo, Jones has an intriguing helping option.

The 24-year-old, who came done Saracens academy and played for Championship broadside Ealing Trailfinders earlier moving to France for stints pinch Toulon and Stade Montois, is electrical pinch shot successful hand.

After long-range efforts successful his past 2 outings successful nan Prem Rugby Cup, Obatoyinbo sliced up nan near helping and stepped astir Saints imaginable James Pater for different awesome people connected his first Prem appearance.

He topped nan charts for metres made (170) and statement breaks (six) crossed nan weekend's action.

Signed connected a one-year woody astatine nan commencement of nan season, he could not person made a overmuch much compelling play to enactment portion of nan Red Bull task for nan longer term.

Sale's play appears to beryllium petering retired aft conclusion distant to Exeter.

But hooker Nathan Jibulu has been a agleam constituent successful an underwhelming campaign.

In 66 minutes connected nan transportation astatine Sandy Park, he vanished arsenic Sale's joint-second shot bearer (nine), 3rd connected metres made (38) and nailed 8 of his 9 line-out throws.

Saracens' Theo Dan and Bristol's Gabriel Oghre besides impressed successful defeat, but, astatine 23, Jibulu is younger than some and will beryllium vying for position connected England's hooker extent chart.