Prem Derby week: Biggest flashpoints down the years

Finn shushes the Shed

Let’s start with a recent one. Finn Russell is box office entertainment, whether it is through his majestic passing, pinpoint cross-kicks or that delightful dummy and go that fools defences time and again.

But he is also the consummate showman, so when he nailed a touchline conversion at Kingsholm, the Bath Rugby magician put his hands to his lips to tell the Shed to quieten down.

He repeated the trick last season and will no doubt be hoping for a hat-trick when Bath head to Gloucester Rugby later this season.

For now, there is a big West Country derby at the Rec this Saturday, where Russell should have an altogether more welcome reception from the fans.

Ashton trying to put off Evans

While we are on the subject of kicks at goal, Chris Ashton tried a different approach back in 2014 in a clash between Saracens and Harlequins.

With Nick Evans lining up a conversion of a Mike Brown try, Ashton was accused of shouting ‘Miss it’ as he charged towards the Kiwi fly-half.

It did not put Evans off as he nailed his kick and put Harlequins 17-10 to the good in North London.

Saracens came back though and booked their place in the PREM final with a 31-17 success, Ashton having the last laugh as he scored a converted try that opened up the two-score lead.

East Midlands fracas again and again

Over the years, tempers have flared whenever Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints face off.

Sometimes that has gone too far – notably Manu Tuilagi’s flurry of punches on Ashton, who somehow got sin-binned as well.

The teams faced off in one PREM final where Dylan Hartley was given his marching orders before half-time for calling referee Wayne Barnes a cheat, although he maintains that he was actually referring to opposite number Tom Youngs.

Meanwhile, Tom Wood enjoyed himself the following season when he scored in the final minute of the semi-final against Leicester, in a game that had earlier seen Salesi Ma’afu sent off for a punch on Youngs (again).

Despite an 11-point half-time deficit, Northampton came back with Wood crashing over in the corner to win it to huge roars from the Franklin’s Gardens faithful.

11-man Glos

Back to the West Country and one of the most remarkable games of the lot when Bath edged out their rivals 18-17 in a dramatic finish.

This was a game that was filled with flashpoints with a penalty try at the death earning the visitors a one-point win at Kingsholm.

They did that against a Gloucester team that was down to 12 at that point, Sila Puafisi having seen red for a dangerous tackle on Nick Abendanon.

Dave Attwood became the third Bath player to go to the sin-bin, after Matt Garvey and Carl Fearns in the first half.

But it was Gloucester’s discipline that ended up swinging the game, with Mike Tindall and Huia Edmonds both seeing yellow late on to leave them down to 12.

A scrap after the penalty try had been awarded saw Tavis Knoyle join them in departing, shown a red card, before George Ford knocked over the conversion (we’re going back a few years!) to win it.

Battle of the London back rows

In the mid-2010s, the Harlequins v Saracens rivalry was at its most fierce, with Quins desperately trying to slow the rise of their neighbours to the north.

While Saracens eventually emerged as one of the driving forces of the game in this country, their games against Quins were always extra spicy.

As well as the aforementioned Ashton shout, there was also no shortage of physicality when Quins enforcer Maurie Fa’asavalu and Sarries tackle machine Jacques Burger went up against one another.

Usually that resulted in some big carries and even bigger tackles, but once things got out of control to the point that Fa’asavalu pulled Burger’s hair.

That day, he was one of three players who spent time in the sin-bin, along with teammate Joe Marler and Sarries’ Alex Goode, with Saracens coming out on top at the Stoop.