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It was a barn-storming weekend of action to sign off Gallagher PREM Rugby for a month, with tools downed as attention switches to the Autumn Internationals, and teams young guns are given their head in the PREM Cup.
Northampton Saints remain top, and champions Bath are their nearest rivals. At the other end Newcastle Red Bulls remain rooted to the bottom with zero points. Not what the energy drinks giant planned when they bought the club in the summer.
The PREM now goes on hiatus for a month while the Quilter Autumn Internationals take place. The league returns on 28 November.
Here’s how ATR saw the action.
Northampton Saints 43-31 Saracens
On a night when Northampton Saints underlined their case to end the season as champions, Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith made a sizeable claim to be England’s starting halfbacks for their opening international, against Australia this coming Saturday.
Mitchell was always likely to start, but Smith has George Ford as a strong rival. Against Saracens, Smith was electric, setting up three tries with kicks, and having time and space to assess his options. Throw in Fraser Dingwell at inside centre, and Tommy Freeman on the wing, and with only a week to prepare it makes sense for England to select a midfield who are so familiar with one another.
It was another Saracens showing that didn’t quite hit the mark, and it should be concerning to Director of Rugby Mark McCall that they were trying to slow the match down when Saints started to build momentum midway through the second half. However, the Bracken brothers should give him plenty to smile about. Winger Jack held his width well to create space for Fergus Burke to kick into and him to finish. Scrumhalf Charlie was a ball of energy, and his quick-thinking set up Max Malins to score.
Exeter Chiefs 39-12 Gloucester
It feels a while since Ethan Roots played four of England’s matches in the 2024 Guinness Men’s Six Nations, and while he has some way to go to force his way back into Steve Borthwick’s pack, he is at least showing the form that got him noticed and helping Chiefs forget about the now-departed Jacques Vermeulen.
The 27-year-old led carries on Saturday with 16 and made 10 tackles to show that he has nailed a flanker’s basics and is doing so on a weekly basis. The list of players ahead of him for a flanker berth is long, and unlikely to be surpassed any time soon, but Director of Rugby Rob Baxter will be pleased one of this season’s revelations won’t be risking injury in November.
Gloucester continue their enigmatic form, but they have appeared to have unearthed another flyer. Jack Cotgreave showed his class with five tries in his first five PREM matches at the end of last season. Saturday’s match was his season debut and while he didn’t add to his tries, he set up the cherry and white’s first with a mazy run from deep, and he should have scored the second, but he was stopped after he tried to cut inside Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. Thankfully, Freddie Thomas crossed after Gloucester kept the momentum going. Now it is time for the team to build some momentum.
Harlequins 52-14 Newcastle Red Bulls
After their hammering at Exeter Chiefs in Round 4, Harlequins couldn’t have asked for better opponents to face than the pointless Red Bulls. Like their win over Saracens, it was an all round showing with the forwards getting in on the act with three rolling maul tries. They have had their wobbles, but if they make Twickenham Stoop a fortress that will be a useful first step in pushing up the table.
Over the last 18 months Will Porter has made the Quins nine shirt his own. While the Stoop crowd will always love Danny Care, the 26-year-old is giving them plenty to shout about. Crucially for their attacking ambitions, his pass accuracy is 98 percent, and he has made 10 carries this season, one of which earned him his first try of the campaign.
Newcastle will welcome the break, as a way to get their team moulded, and better integrated. They could also use the next five weeks to get their defence fixed. They were five tries to nil down by halftime and didn’t score till the 75th minute. Christian Wade will join the squad after the Autumn Internationals, but if they don’t sort out what’s inside him, his pace on the wing will count for little.
Bath 40-15 Bristol Bears
Bath wing Joe Cokanasiga has scored 13 tries in 16 England appearances but hasn’t played for Steve Borthwick’s team since August 2023. He missed the Rugby World Cup 2023 squad and the fact he wasn’t among seven wingers chosen for their recent training camp, shows Rugby World Cup 2027 is a long way off.
Cokanasiga was a key part of the PREM winning side last season, and he scored his first try of the current campaign by holding his width and giving Finn Russell a target for his crosskick. Next year, he becomes eligible for Fiji where he was born. Maybe Australia 2027 could still be on the cards?
Argentina flanker Santiago Grondona has found himself straight back in the fray since The Rugby Championship ended, and he showed why at The Rec. His early charge down gave the Bears the field position to open the scoring, and he came up with an important intercept close his line when Bath were threatening. He made 14 tackles, and while a flanker should expect more than three carries, he is at least taking the pressure off the Peter Pan-esque Steven Luatua.
Leicester Tigers 36-35 Sale Sharks
A few eyebrows were raised when Emeka Ilione was included in the latest England training group, but with Tom Willis ruling himself out of contention there is a big shirt to fill at number eight. Tigers have high hopes for the 23-year-old, and he showed why with a try barely a minute after coming off the bench. He may fall behind Chandler Cunningham-South and Ben Earl this autumn, but it is definitely worth seeing what he can do.
Wing Adam Radwan was also in the England training squad, and he again demonstrated his prowess with two tries to make it 14 in 14 since joining Tigers in January. Tommy Freeman, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso are the leading pair, and Tom Roebuck, who grabbed a try for Sale, is also ahead of Radwan after his performances in Argentina. It means all Radwan can do is maintain his performances and trust they earn him a chance.
Sharks scrumhalf Raffi Quirke was once seen as a potential England scrumhalf before injuries intervened. He is slowly working his way back to form and 81 minutes of play in three matches this season. Three of Sale’s tries came after Quirke entered the fray and lifted the tempo. At 24 there is plenty of time for him to fulfil that early promise.