Saracens seek redemption when they host the Northampton Saints while Exeter lead the standings and have to fight off the Sale Sharks. Shaun Goosen looks at the weekend’s Gallagher Premiership fixtures kicking off on the 1st of March.
Bristol v Gloucester
21h45
Ashton Gate
Gloucester are beginning to hit their straps this season and will be confident of claiming an invaluable away win against Bristol on Friday. Johan Ackermann’s side have beaten the top two in Exeter and Saracens on consecutive weekends, putting them in a golden position to challenge for third spot with the end of round robin play in sight.
It would seem Ackermann’s style of play is finally beginning to sink in at the Kingsholm after a tough start. Bristol, who were beaten at the Stoop last week, may struggle to contain a team very much on the up and with plenty to play for.
Verdict: Gloucester by 10-points or more
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Saturday 2 March
Sale Sharks v Exeter Chiefs
17h00
AJ Bell Stadium
After a solid away win against the Wasps last week, Sale will feel they are in a good position to upset the table-topping Chiefs on Saturday. The Sharks put in a solid shift to beat Dai Young’s men in London and will doubtless still be targeting a playoff berth despite sitting in eighth-place, seven-points off the pace.
Standing in their way of recording what would be another invaluable win are Exeter, who claimed a 35-17 win over Newcastle at Sandy Park last week. One would think that Rob Baxter’s men will be too strong for Sale, but as they showed in their defeat to Gloucester a fortnight ago, they are certainly not invincible.
Verdict: Exeter by seven-points or more
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Saracens v Northampton Saints
17h00
Allianz Park
The defending champions fell for just the third time last week when they went down to Gloucester 24-30 away from home. Mark McCall and his coaching staff certainly don’t take too well to losing and one would expect a backlash at Allianz Park this Saturday.
The Saints, though, have won their last five on the bounce as Chris Boyd’s coaching philosophy is beginning to take root at Franklin’s Gardens. Saturday’s clash in London will offer them their sternest test in a while, and it will be interesting to see how well they cope against a wounded Saracens outfit. That said, the hosts have the experience and pedigree to bounce back and should claim the W.
Verdict: Saracens by seven-points or more
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Leicester Tigers v Wasps
17h00
Welford Road
The Tigers can go level on points with Wasps with a win at home this weekend. Neither side has faired too well of late, with the hosts stuck on a five-game losing run in all competitions while Wasps have lost four of their last five outings. Both teams have lacked a degree of quality, especially with their internationals on Six Nations duty.
It is Leicester, though, who will aim to turn their fortunes around with a win in front of the Welford Road faithful this Saturday as Wasps, coming off the back of a disappointing 18-24 home loss to Sale, continue to fade this season.
Verdict: Leicester by 10-points or more
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Bath Rugby v Harlequins
17h00
The Recreation Ground
Bath come into this one off the back of a narrow one-point loss at Northampton and will be determined to get one over the third-placed Harlequins. Bath sit in seventh with six-wins and six-losses to go with their two-draws and can potentially leapfrog both Saints and Wasps with a bonus-point win.
Standing in their way, though, is a Quins side riding high after claiming five-wins in their last six outings. Having risen to third, they will be eager to stay put as the race for the playoffs heats up. They should come away with the spoils this weekend over an average Bath outfit.
Verdict: Harlequins by 14-points or more
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Sunday 3 March
Newcastle Falcons v Worcester Warriors
17h00
Kingston Park
The Falcons are in trouble. Rock-bottom and nine-points adrift of 11th-placed Bristol, there is little chance of a rousing comeback for last season’s semi-finalists. Theirs is a quite remarkable fall from grace and a stark reminder that, in the world of professional sport, there is little room for error.
They tackle Worcester on Sunday, who last week beat Leicester 17-13 at home. Considering Newcastle’s form of late, one would expect the Warriors to dish out even more punishment to the floundering franchise as their fate becomes ever clearer.
Verdict: Worcester by seven-points or more
Written by Shaun Goosen for Hollywoodbets.
