The Gallagher Premiership heads into Round 13 with six fixtures scheduled for this weekend. Log leaders Exeter will host Gloucester, Bristol have a tough task away to the Wasps, while the Saracens take on the Leicester Tigers. Read our full preview here.
Friday 15 February:
Gloucester v Exeter Chiefs
21h45
Kingsholm Stadium
To Win
Gloucester 15/20
Draw 18/1
Exeter Chiefs 23/10
With the Six Nations having claimed six of their players compared to Gloucester’s one, Exeter will be under pressure to get a result at the Kingsholm and maintain their four-point lead at the summit of the Premiership standings.
The extended break the Premiership squads have enjoyed would have revitalized them somewhat, but Johan Ackermann’s side have the added benefit of even greater continuity heading into Friday’s clash. The fourth-placed hosts are sure to have targeted this fixture as a must-win and will certainly be frothing for a chance to jump to third, even if it is temporary.
Verdict: Gloucester by seven or more.
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Bristol v Wasps
21h45
Ashton Gate
To Win
Bristol 7/10
Draw 16/1
Wasps 12/10
For all the talk of their potential this term, Bristol have found their first soirée in the upper echelons of English club rugby a hard task. Sitting in 10th with playoff qualification highly unlikely, Pat Lam will be focused on building towards next season while further solidifying the structure and game he is looking to implement at the club.
Wasps’ visit to Ashton Gate this Friday offers his charges another chance to show what they can do but it will be a big ask considering the fact that the Londoners are still in a scrap for a semi-final place.
Verdict: Wasps by 10 or more.
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Saturday 16 February:
Northampton v Sale Sharks
16h00
Franklin’s Gardens
To Win
Northampton 9/20
Draw 18/1
Sale Sharks 19/10
Having arrested the horrendous run of results that threatened to blight their season but a few short months ago, the Saints have enjoyed something of an upward trajectory of late. Chris Boyd’s men are unbeaten in their last three clashes in all competitions and would have only benefited from this mid-season break.
That said, they will have to be at their best to outdo a determined Sale side. The Sharks have steadily improved this season and it appears coach Steve Diamond is slowly building a squad capable of challenging for the title in the not too distant future. They will be hungry to get a result come kick-off time.
Verdict: Sale by five or more
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Saracens v Leicester Tigers
17h00
Allianz Park
To Win
Saracens 1/12
Draw 38/1
Leicester Tigers 6/1
The defending champions, sitting in second, are well on their way to securing yet another home semi-final and will have ample opportunity to cut down Exeter’s four-point advantage at the top of the standings before the season is out. Currently enjoying a run of four-consecutive wins in all competitions, the hosts will feel confident of adding to that tally when Leicester visit the Allianz on Saturday.
The Tigers find themselves in a mid-table scrap but can still qualify if a few results go their way. They may not have it in them to force an upset this weekend, however, with Saracens’ ridiculous strength in depth and clear playing style sure to come to the fore in spite of the absence of as many as seven England internationals.
Verdict: Saracens by 10 or more
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Harlequins v Worcester Warriors
17h00
Twickenham Stoop
To Win
Harlequins 1/4
Draw 22/1
Worcester Warriors 31/20
In the midst of an intense battle for the third and fourth qualifying spots, Harlequins find themselves in the top three after a string of good wins. Such is the competition in the Premiership at present, though, that they are just one-point ahead of Gloucester in fourth.
They host a Warriors side that has claimed just four wins all season and has seriously under-performed under former Cheetahs gaffer Rory Duncan. While they do boast some talented players in the form of Francois Hougaard and Duncan Weir, they have been unable to spark any kind of real momentum and will head into Saturday’s tie at the Stoop as overwhelming underdogs.
Verdict: Harlequins by 10 or more
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Bath Rugby v Newcastle Falcons
17h00
The Recreation Ground
To Win
Bath Rugby 1/4
Draw 20/1
Newcastle Falcons 29/10
Bath have endured yet another indifferent campaign, picking up just five wins and two draws to go with their five losses. They occupy eighth spot but do still have an outside chance of qualifying for the playoffs given the close-knit nature of the midtable sides (just one-point separates fifth from eighth).
Nevertheless, they will back themselves against a Newcastle outfit that has lost five of their last six in all competitions and who, after miraculously making last season’s semi-finals, now sit bottom of the pile with but a few months of games left. The Falcons can spring a surprise this weekend, but it’s Bath who deserve the backing.
Verdict: Bath by five or more
