The Christmas and New Year period has seen the opening four rounds of the U18 Academy League take place, and there are three more rounds to come ahead of finals day in mid-February.

At this point the tale is one that is very similar to last season, with Leicester Tigers, the reigning champions, in charge in the Northern Conference and Gloucester at the top of the tree in the Southern Conference, though Harlequins are proving tough competitors.

Northern Conference

Leicester Tigers beat the much celebrated Sale Sharks academy at the weekend but it was an incredibly tough game, finishing 27-24 in Leicester’s favour after a really top tussle. It was Tigers’ fourth win from four, leaving them ten points clear of the Wasps and Newcastle in second and third respectively, while Sale currently sit fourth.

Both Wasps and Newcastle Falcons picked up impressive victories over the weekend to keep them just about in tough with Leicester. Newcastle were on form to beat Northampton Saints, whose only win came last week against the winless Worcester. Newcastle secured a 41-10 win to make it two wins from four.
Wasps have the same record thanks to a brilliant 50-5 victory away at Yorkshire Carnegie, who are without a win since their opening round victory over Worcester Warriors, though they did draw with Sale Sharks in Round two.

Southern Conference

It was a key weekend at the top of the Southern Conference in round 4 as the two unbeaten sides, Gloucester and Harlequins. Both have been sensational so far and were again at the weekend, but home advantage perhaps just helped out Gloucester as last year’s losing finalists took a 27-26 victory that leaves them clear of Quins at the top of the table by a solitary point.

Bath are the only other side in touching distance of those two, they sit in third with two wins from three including a stunning 77-17 defeat of Bristol Bears at the weekend that leaves them five points adrift of Quins and six clear of fourth placed London Irish, who were defeated 31-19 away to Saracens in round 4, surprisingly the first victory of the campaign for the North London side.

Coming Up

Round 5 takes place this weekend coming before a week’s break ahead of the final two rounds in the opening two weekend’s of February.

There are some bumper clashes in Round 5, not least in the Southern Conference where Harlequins have a chance to leapfrog Gloucester as the Cherry & Whites have a bye week. Quins are hosting Bath though, and the men from The Rec have ambitions of their own as a bonus point win could see them leapfrog their hosts and move into second place.

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U18 Academy League Round 4 Results:

Northern Conference

Leicester Tigers 27-24 Sale Sharks

Northampton Saints 10-41 Newcastle Falcons

Yorkshire Carnegie 5-50 Wasps

Sothern Conference

Bath 77-17 Bristol Bears

Gloucester 27-26 Harlequins

Saracens 31-19 London Irish

Round 3 Results:

NC

Leicester Tigers 34-7 Wasps

Newcastle Falcons 22-14 Yorkshire Carnegie

Worcester Warriors 19-24 Northampton Saints

SC

Bristol Bears 17-21 Exeter Chiefs

Gloucester 23-22 Bath

Saracens 12-26 Harlequins

Round 2 Results:

NC

Northampton Saints 12-53 Leicester Tigers

Wasps 42-31 Worcester Warriors

Yorkshire Carnegie 19-19 Sale Sharks

SC

Bath 64-7 Exeter Chiefs

Bristol Bears 14-50 Gloucester

Harlequins 43-26 London Irish

Round 1 Results:

NC

Newcastle Falcons 14-66 Leicester Tigers

Sale Sharks 43-17 Wasps

Yorkshire Carnegie 31-12 Worcester Warriors

SC 

Gloucester 28-12 Saracens

Harlequins 48-0 Bristol Bears

London Irish 36-20 Exeter Chiefs

Tables:

Round 5 Fixtures (19^th/20^th January):

NC

Leicester Tigers v Yorkshire Carnegie

Newcastle Falcons v Worcester Warriors

Sale Sharks v Northampton Saints

SC

Exeter Chiefs v Saracens

Harlequins v Bath

London Irish v Bristol Bears

Round 6 Fixtures (2^nd/3^rd February):

NC

Sale Sharks v Newcastle Falcons

Wasps v Northampton Saints

Worcester Warriors v Leicester Tigers

SC

Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins

London Irish v Gloucester

Saracens v Bath

Round 7 Fixtures (9^th February):

NC

Northampton Saints v Yorkshire Carnegie

Wasps v Newcastle Falcons

Worcester Warriors v Sale Sharks

SC

Bath v London Irish

Bristol Bears v Saracens

Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester

U18 Academy League Finals Day – Sunday 17^th February, Allianz Park