It’s time for our first Monday wrap of 2025 as we run down who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend.
THEY’RE ON FIRE!
Tom Willis fires Saracens back into life: Club legend Jamie George claimed that back-rower Willis has been ‘comfortably’ the best player for Sarries this season and it’s hard to argue otherwise, particularly after this weekend’s performance against Bristol Bears. While Steve Borthwick clearly doesn’t hold the number eight in such high regard as the England captain, Willis continues to tear up trees in the Premiership and did so against Bristol again with a man-of-the-match performance that included a couple of tries. Willis was absent from Saracens’ heavy Premiership defeat to Bath but he was on hand this past weekend to turn their fortunes around and did so emphatically.
Chieka’s Tigers and their livewire wing: It came as a surprise to many that Leicester opted to part ways with Dan McKellar after just one season but the proof is in the pudding that the decision is paying off with the Michael Cheika-led outfit riding high in the Premiership. Many of the players look reborn under the Australian’s tutelage including England flyer Ollie Hassell-Collins who put in another standout showing. Springboks veteran Handre Pollard was also superb in the win over Exeter Chiefs as Tigers ended the weekend in the play-off race.
Gloucester-Wales links: One cannot blame Warren Gatland from keeping a close eye on the Cherry and Whites as he narrows down his Wales squad for the upcoming Six Nations. Gloucester have really turned the corner after a nightmarish 2023/24 season and their Welsh contingent have played a major role in their success and this past weekend was no exception. Tomos Williams was central to their victory over Sale as were the likes of Max Llewellyn, Josh Hathaway and Gareth Anscombe, who was solid in the first half before injury struck.
Fin Smith makes England statement: Paul Gustard believed this was one of his best performances in a Northampton shirt and it’s hard to disagree. Smith saw off the likes of namesake Marcus, Handre Pollard and Finn Russell to make the former England coach’s Team of the Week as he made a statement against Bath with the Six Nations just around the corner. Surely Borthwick must better utilise him in 2025.
Scarlets shine bright: Sticking on the topic of the Welsh, Dwayne Peel’s charges were good value in their opening fixture of the year as they ran in four tries to dispatch the Dragons 32-15 on New Year’s Day. This came off the back of a rather bland and underwhelming derby between Cardiff and Ospreys which ended in a 13-all stalemate. Victory moves Scarlets up to sixth in the United Rugby Championship table.
COLD AS ICE!
Byron McGuigan’s Sale defence: Hot one weekend, ice cold the next. Sale Sharks’ defence was the talk of the Premiership after the final round of action in 2024 but as the clock struck midnight, their fortunes seemingly took a turn with the same defence that nilled Bristol Bears conceding five to Gloucester in the first game of 2025. A good defensive system does not go bad overnight but McGuigan certainly won’t be pleased with the stark contrast of the two performances and there will be plenty of work-ons this week ahead of facing the Stormers away.
France hammered by injuries: Les Bleus head coach Fabien Galthie had to get his Tipp-Ex out this past week as three players who were more than likely going to make his squad for the Six Nations were hit by injury. The first was squad regular and defence captain Gael Fickou who has a wrist injury with fellow centre Jonathan Danty quickly following after he showed glimpses of returning to the form that warranted a Test recall. Finally, Toulon flank Charles Ollivon sustained a nasty-looking injury that could keep him sidelined for the entire tournament.
Exeter Chiefs and Rob Baxter: The Devonians end another weekend of Premiership action in the bottom two and remain in contention for a possible drop to the lower ebbs of English Rugby. Their defeat to Leicester Tigers at Welford Road over the weekend means that they are now lagging even further behind the rest of the pack as the gap grows to 15 points between them and eighth-place Northampton Saints.
Dewi Lake blow: Wales are yet to play in 2025 but their hopes of turning things around after a difficult year have already hit a snag with the news that captain and hooker Lake is unlikely to play in the Six Nations. There are few Wales players that have an opportunity to make the British and Irish Lions squad but Lake is one of them and his unavailability to Wales head coach Gatland is not only a setback for him personally but to the team’s chances of ending their losing streak. Lake will also hope his absence doesn’t impact his Lions aspirations.
Owen Farrell and Racing 92: The biannual Midi Olympique ‘flops’ list was released last week and atop the list for the worst signings of the season so far was ex-England captain Owen Farrell. Things have not gone all the playmaker’s way, with the publication describing his performances as ‘neutral’ while those struggles also extend to the club, who suffered its eighth defeat from 14 games of the Top 14 season.
Ollie Lawrence’s ‘dirty tactics’: England star Ollie Lawrence drew the ire of the Northampton Saints supporters, as well as the neutrals watching on TV, for his antics in Bath’s Premiership defeat on Sunday. Some fans accused him of “dirty tactics” on two separate occasions during the match as his late hit on George Hendy was followed by him clutching his head after a collision with Alex Mitchell. While you have to take his action on face value, particularly with concussion such a concern, some have claimed that he did a football-like ‘dive’. It also didn’t help his cause that he was caught on camera seemingly grinning after the incidents. He has apologised which feels the right move from the player as he says he’ll “be better” in future.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/whos-hot-and-whos-not-tom-willis-bangs-on-england-door-while-sales-is-wide-open-and-france-hammered-by-injuries
