2007–08 English Premiership (rugby union)

2007–08 Guinness Premiership
Countries  England
Champions London Wasps (6th title)
Runners-up Leicester Tigers
Relegated Leeds Carnegie
Matches played 135
Top point scorer Andy Goode (207 points)
Top try scorer Tom Varndell (14 tries)

The 2007–08 Guinness Premiership was the 21st season of the top flight of the English domestic rugby union competitions, played between September 2007 and May 2008. Due to the 2007 Rugby World Cup the season started slightly later than normal, as England were trying to defend their title. Leeds Tykes, which renamed themselves Leeds Carnegie shortly after the 2006-07 season, were promoted from National Division One 2006-07, taking the place of Northampton Saints who were relegated.

During the season, London Wasps went from 10th in the league during October, to beat Leicester in the Guinness Premiership Final.

Contents

Table

Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Tries For Tries Against Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1 Gloucester (SF) 22 15 0 7 551 377 +174 65 39 7 7 74
2 London Wasps (C) 22 14 2 6 599 459 +140 67 49 7 3 70
3 Bath (SF) 22 15 0 7 526 387 +139 59 37 6 3 69
4 Leicester Tigers (F) 22 13 0 9 539 428 +111 58 40 6 6 64
5 Sale Sharks 22 14 0 8 481 374 +107 44 37 4 3 63
6 Harlequins 22 12 0 10 480 440 +40 53 49 7 8 63
7 London Irish 22 13 0 9 433 382 +51 44 37 2 5 59
8 Saracens 22 11 0 11 533 525 +8 58 58 3 5 52
9 Bristol 22 7 1 14 393 473 −80 40 52 3 5 37*
10 Worcester Warriors 22 6 2 14 387 472 −85 48 47 1 7 36
11 Newcastle Falcons 22 7 0 15 333 542 −209 34 62 1 5 34
12 Leeds Carnegie (R) 22 2 1 19 336 732 −396 33 96 0 2 12
Bristol Rugby deducted one point for fielding an ineligible player in the match against London Wasps on 22 December 2007. Green background are play off places. Pink background is the relegation place
Reference www.guinnesspremiership.com:

If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points scored and allowed
  3. Total number of points scored
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled

Results

Round 1

15 September 2007
14:15
Bath 29 – 15 Worcester Warriors Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,010
15 September 2007
15:30
Harlequins 35 – 27 London Irish Twickenham
Attendance: 39,400
15 September 2007
18:00
London Wasps 19 – 29 Saracens Twickenham
Attendance: 39,400
16 September 2007
15:00
Bristol 13 – 26 Leicester Tigers Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 8,125
16 September 2007
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 24 – 49 Gloucester Headingley
Attendance: 10,674
16 September 2007
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 33 – 12 Sale Sharks Kingston Park
Attendance: 5,859

Round 2

22 September 2007
15:00
Leicester Tigers 26 – 16 Bath Welford Road
Attendance: 17,059
22 September 2007
17:00
Harlequins 39 – 15 Leeds Carnegie Twickenham Stoop
Attendance: 7,459
22 September 2007
17:00
Worcester Warriors 24 – 24 London Wasps Sixways
Attendance: 7,105
23 September 2007
15:00
London Irish 19 – 0 Newcastle Falcons Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 6,800
23 September 2007
15:00
Sale Sharks 20 – 6 Bristol Edgeley Park
Attendance: 6,402
23 September 2007
15:00
Saracens 31 – 38 Gloucester Vicarage Road
Attendance: 6,976

Round 3

29 September 2007
14:15
Bath 21 – 19 Sale Sharks Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,105
29 September 2007
18:00
Gloucester 29 – 7 Worcester Warriors Kingsholm
Attendance: 15,781
29 September 2007
18:00
Newcastle Falcons 19 – 12 Harlequins Kingston Park
Attendance: 6,478
30 September 2007
15:00
Bristol 14 – 11 London Irish Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 6,751
30 September 2007
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 7 – 31 Saracens Headingley
Attendance: 9,620
30 September 2007
15:00
London Wasps 17 – 20 Leicester Tigers Adams Park
Attendance: 7,313

Round 4

5 October 2007
19:45
Sale Sharks 16 – 0 London Wasps Edgeley Park
Attendance: 7,368
5 October 2007
20:00
London Irish 20 – 22 Bath Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 8,092
5 October 2007
20:00
Newcastle Falcons 21 – 19 Leeds Carnegie Kingston Park
Attendance: 6,847
6 October 2007
16:00
Harlequins 24 – 18 Bristol Twickenham Stoop
Attendance: 7,732
6 October 2007
17:00
Worcester Warriors 16 – 21 Saracens Sixways
Attendance: 8,863
6 October 2007
18:00
Leicester Tigers 17 – 30 Gloucester Welford Road
Attendance: 17,101

Round 5

12 October 2007
20:00
Leeds Carnegie 26 – 21 Worcester Warriors Headingley
Attendance: 4,516
13 October 2007
12:30
Bath 25 – 10 Harlequins Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,142
13 October 2007
15:00
Gloucester 31 – 12 Sale Sharks Kingsholm
Attendance: 14,075
14 October 2007
15:00
Bristol 23 – 16 Newcastle Falcons Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 6,829
14 October 2007
15:00
London Wasps 28 – 14 London Irish Adams Park
Attendance: 6,629
14 October 2007
15:00
Saracens 26 – 19 Leicester Tigers Vicarage Road
Attendance: 7,427

Round 6

19 October 2007
19:45
Sale Sharks 34 – 30 Saracens Edgeley Park
Attendance: 7,051
20 October 2007
15:00
Harlequins 26 – 25 London Wasps Twickenham Stoop
Attendance: 10,115
20 October 2007
15:00
Leicester Tigers 28 – 20 Worcester Warriors Welford Road
Attendance: 16,219
21 October 2007
Oct 07 14:00
Newcastle Falcons 20 – 33 Bath Kingston Park
Attendance: 5,592
21 October 2007
Oct 07 15:00
Bristol 39 – 13 Leeds Carnegie Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 6,439
21 October 2007
Oct 07 16:00
London Irish 15 – 10 Gloucester Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 7,582

Round 7

23 November 2007
20:00
Worcester Warriors 15 – 34 Sale Sharks Sixways
Attendance: 10,197
24 November 2007
14:15
Bath 28 – 13 Bristol Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,600
24 November 2007
14:45
Leeds Carnegie 6 – 29 Leicester Tigers Headingley
Attendance: 9,496
24 November 2007
15:00
Gloucester 27 – 25 Harlequins Kingsholm
Attendance: 13,506
25 November 2007
15:00
London Wasps 35 – 12 Newcastle Falcons Adams Park
Attendance: 9,502
25 November 2007
15:00
Saracens 24 – 20 London Irish Vicarage Road
Attendance: 9,020

Round 8

22 December 2007
14:15
Bath 41 – 10 Leeds Carnegie Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,600
22 December 2007
14:45
Bristol 23 – 23 London Wasps Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 9,926
22 December 2007
15:00
Harlequins 20 – 27 Saracens Twickenham Stoop
Attendance: 11,672
23 December 2007
14:45
Sale Sharks 20 – 14 Leicester Tigers Edgeley Park
Attendance: 10,872
23 December 2007
15:00
London Irish 23 – 16 Worcester Warriors Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 9,266
23 December 2007
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 13 – 20 Gloucester Kingston Park
Attendance: 9,612

Round 9

29 December 2007
14:45
Leicester Tigers 25 – 17 London Irish Welford Road
Attendance: 17,498
29 December 2007
14:45
London Wasps 25 – 10 Bath Adams Park
Attendance: 10,000
29 December 2007
15:00
Gloucester 27 – 0 Bristol Kingsholm
Attendance: 16,500
29 December 2007
15:00
Worcester Warriors 7 – 10 Harlequins Sixways
Attendance: 10,197
30 December 2007
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 20 – 34 Sale Sharks Headingley
Attendance: 11,116
30 December 2007
16:00
Saracens 19 – 22 Newcastle Falcons Vicarage Road
Attendance: 17,223

Round 10

4 January 2008
20:00
Bath 10 – 5 Gloucester Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,600
5 January 2008
15:00
London Wasps 25 – 17 Leeds Carnegie Adams Park
Attendance: 7,667
6 January 2008
13:15
Harlequins 13 – 42 Leicester Tigers Twickenham Stoop
Attendance: 12,605
6 January 2008
15:00
Bristol 18 – 3 Saracens Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 8,129
6 January 2008
15:00
London Irish 20 – 12 Sale Sharks Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 9,744
6 January 2008
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 15 – 12 Worcester Warriors Kingston Park
Attendance: 7,219

Round 11

25 January 2008
20:00
Sale Sharks 20 – 13 Harlequins Edgeley Park
Attendance: 10,216
26 January 2008
15:00
Gloucester 18 – 17 London Wasps Kingsholm
Attendance: 16,200
26 January 2008
15:00
Leicester Tigers 41 – 14 Newcastle Falcons Welford Road
Attendance: 17,498
26 January 2008
15:00
Worcester Warriors 25 – 5 Bristol Sixways
Attendance: 9,822
27 January 2008
13:30
Saracens 26 – 20 Bath Vicarage Road
Attendance: 9,952
27 January 2008
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 24 – 26 London Irish Headingley
Attendance: 4,886

Rearranged fixtures

9 February 2008
15:00
Gloucester 13 – 20 Leicester Tigers Kingsholm
Attendance: 12,597
10 February 2008
15:00
Saracens 19 – 6 Worcester Warriors Vicarage Road
Attendance: 6,739

Round 12

15 February 2008
19:45
Sale Sharks 29 – 3 Leeds Carnegie Edgeley Park
Attendance: 8,006
16 February 2008
14:45
Bath 34 – 42 London Wasps Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,600
16 February 2008
15:00
Harlequins 36 – 15 Worcester Warriors Twickenham Stoop
Attendance: 10,363
17 February 2008
13:45
London Irish 22 – 13 Leicester Tigers Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 10,559
17 February 2008
15:00
Bristol 29 – 26 Gloucester Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 11,418
17 February 2008
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 16 – 14 Saracens Kingston Park
Attendance: 8,266

Round 13

22 February 2008
20:00
Worcester Warriors 11 – 12 London Irish Sixways
Attendance: 10,197
23 February 2008
15:00
Gloucester 28 – 20 Newcastle Falcons Kingsholm
Attendance: 13,047
23 February 2008
15:00
Leicester Tigers 11 – 14 Sale Sharks Welford Road
Attendance: 17,498
23 February 2008
15:00
London Wasps 32 – 30 Bristol Adams Park
Attendance: 8,583
24 February 2008
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 15 – 34 Bath Headingley
Attendance: 4,859
24 February 2008
18:05
Saracens 6 – 15 Harlequins Vicarage Road
Attendance: 6,553

Round 14

29 February 2008
19:45
Sale Sharks 15 – 22 Worcester Warriors Edgeley Park
Attendance: 7,862
1 March 2008
13:30
London Irish 27 – 24 Saracens Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 8,298
1 March 2008
14:45
Harlequins 30 – 25 Gloucester Twickenham Stoop
Attendance: 12,638
1 March 2008
15:00
Leicester Tigers 34 – 21 Leeds Carnegie Welford Road
Attendance: 17,002
2 March 2008
15:00
Bristol 9 – 19 Bath Ashton Gate
Attendance: 16,234

Round 15

8 March 2008
13:00
Bath 22 – 11 Newcastle Falcons Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,600
8 March 2008
15:00
Worcester Warriors 23 – 19 Leicester Tigers Sixways
Attendance: 10,047
8 March 2008
17:30
Gloucester 34 – 14 London Irish Kingsholm
Attendance: 12,354
9 March 2008
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 13 – 30 Bristol Headingley
Attendance: 3,841
9 March 2008
15:00
London Wasps 29 – 25 Harlequins Adams Park
Attendance: 10,000
9 March 2008
15:00
Saracens 24 – 20 Sale Sharks Vicarage Road
Attendance: 8,712

Round 16

14 March 2008
19:45
Sale Sharks 22 – 16 Gloucester Edgeley Park
Attendance: 9,266
15 March 2008
15:00
Leicester Tigers 36 – 23 Saracens Welford Road
Attendance: 17,071
16 March 2008
13:00
Worcester Warriors 10 – 10 Leeds Carnegie Sixways
Attendance: 9,371
16 March 2008
15:00
Harlequins 22 – 16 Bath Twickenham Stoop
Attendance: 11,196
16 March 2008
15:00
London Irish 16 – 22 London Wasps Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 23,709
16 March 2008
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 8 – 28 Bristol Kingston Park
Attendance: 6,088

Round 17

21 October 2007
Mar 08 19:00
Leeds Carnegie 16 – 15 Newcastle Falcons Headingley
Attendance: 8,917
22 March 2008
14:15
Bath 19 – 16 London Irish Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,600
23 March 2008
15:00
Bristol 15 – 28 Harlequins Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 9,764

Round 18

28 March 2008
19:45
Sale Sharks 22 – 6 Bath Edgeley Park
Attendance: 9,068
29 March 2008
14:45
Leicester Tigers 19 – 24 London Wasps Welford Road
Attendance: 17,498
29 March 2008
15:00
Harlequins 15 – 9 Newcastle Falcons Twickenham Stoop
Attendance: 12,638
29 March 2008
15:00
Worcester Warriors 17 – 14 Gloucester Sixways
Attendance: 10,197
30 March 2008
15:00
London Irish 28 – 8 Bristol Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 7,573
30 March 2008
15:00
Saracens 66 – 7 Leeds Carnegie Vicarage Road
Attendance: 5,896

Round 19

11 April 2008
19:30
Bristol 17 – 24 Sale Sharks Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 8,178
12 April 2008
12:35
Gloucester 39 – 15 Saracens Kingsholm
Attendance: 12,300
12 April 2008
15:00
London Wasps 49 – 12 Worcester Warriors Adams Park
Attendance: 8,138
13 April 2008
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 6 – 32 Harlequins Headingley
Attendance: 3,854
13 April 2008
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 8 – 13 London Irish Kingston Park
Attendance: 7,484

Rearranged fixtures

15 April 2008
19:30
London Wasps 29 – 19 Sale Sharks Adams Park
Attendance: 9,823
15 April 2008
20:00
Bath 26 – 12 Leicester Tigers Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,600

Round 20

19 April 2008
14:45
London Irish 13 – 6 Harlequins Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 10,324
19 April 2008
15:00
Gloucester 39 – 16 Leeds Carnegie Kingsholm
Attendance: 11,753
19 April 2008
15:00
Leicester Tigers 32 – 14 Bristol Welford Road
Attendance: 17,324
19 April 2008
15:00
Worcester Warriors 20 – 23 Bath Sixways
Attendance: 10,049
20 April 2008
15:00
Saracens 29 – 40 London Wasps Vicarage Road
Attendance: 13,210
20 April 2008
15:30
Sale Sharks 53 – 10 Newcastle Falcons Edgeley Park
Attendance: 10,134

Round 21

3 May 2008
15:00
Bristol 21 – 22 Worcester Warriors Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 9,127
3 May 2008
18:00
Bath 66 – 21 Saracens Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,600
4 May 2008
15:00
Harlequins 16 – 23 Sale Sharks Twickenham Stoop
Attendance: 12,638
4 May 2008
15:00
London Irish 43 – 20 Leeds Carnegie Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 7,502
4 May 2008
15:00
London Wasps 17 – 25 Gloucester Adams Park
Attendance: 10,000
4 May 2008
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 28 – 25 Leicester Tigers Kingston Park
Attendance: 9,184

Rearranged fixture

7 May 2008
20:00
Newcastle Falcons 13 – 32 London Wasps Kingston Park
Attendance: 10,200

Round 22

10 May 2008
15:00
Gloucester 8 – 6 Bath Kingsholm
Attendance: 16,500
10 May 2008
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 28 – 45 London Wasps Headingley
Attendance: 7,842
10 May 2008
15:00
Leicester Tigers 31 – 28 Harlequins Welford Road
Attendance: 17,498
10 May 2008
15:00
Sale Sharks 7 – 17 London Irish Edgeley Park
Attendance: 10,252
10 May 2008
15:00
Saracens 25 – 20 Bristol Stadium:mk
Attendance: 8,050
10 May 2008
15:00
Worcester Warriors 51 – 10 Newcastle Falcons Sixways
Attendance: 10,197

Play-offs

Semi-finals

18 May 2008
14:00
London Wasps 21 – 10 Bath Adams Park
Attendance: 10,000
18 May 2008
16:30
Gloucester 25 – 26 Leicester Tigers Kingsholm
Attendance: 16,500

Final

31 May 2008
15:00
London Wasps 26 – 16 Leicester Tigers Twickenham
Attendance: 81,600

Top scorers

Points

Points Name Club Tries Con Pen Drop
207 Andy Goode Leicester Tigers 1 26 46 4
201 Charlie Hodgson Sale Sharks 0 24 42 9
192 Danny Cipriani London Wasps 6 39 28 0
179 Glen Jackson Saracens 2 29 35 2
178 Olly Barkley Bath Rugby 3 32 33 0
152 Ryan Lamb Gloucester Rugby 4 24 27 1
127 Alberto Di Bernardo Leeds Carnegie 0 14 28 5
118 Shane Drahm Worcester Warriors 1 19 24 1
115 Adrian Jarvis Harlequins 0 17 27 0
107 Chris Malone Harlequins 2 20 17 2

Tries

Player Tries Club
Tom Varndell 14 Leicester Tigers
Matt Banahan 10 Bath Rugby
James Simpson-Daniel 10 Gloucester Rugby
Miles Benjamin 9 Worcester Rugby
Lesley Vainikolo 9 Gloucester Rugby
Ben Foden 8 Sale Sharks
Tom Voyce 8 London Wasps
Tom Arscott 7 Bristol Rugby
Tom Biggs 7 Leeds Carnegie
Tom May 7 Newcastle Falcons

References

External links