Saracens host Harlequins before Northampton travel to Welford Road to face Leicester in the Gallagher Premiership semi-finals. Shaun Goosen previews.
Saturday 11 June
Saracens 1/3 | Draw 22/1 | Quins 5/2 (14:30)
Saracens host defending champions Harlequins at the StoneX Stadium in the first of Saturday’s Premiership semi-finals.
After spending last season in the RFU Championship (which they ended up winning) following their highly publicised salary cap scandal, Mark McCall’s boys picked up right where they left off. Ending up second, seven-points off leaders the Tigers, Sarries will feel they have something of a point to prove to the rest of the competition and will be confident of winning this weekend having already beaten Quins three times this season. With the likes of Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell and Player of the Year Ben Earl to call on, they’ll be tough to look past here.
The visitors, though, never mind the underdog tag. Spearheaded by the scintillating Marcus Smith at 10, Quins battled hard to finish third this season and will now look to draw on the same spirit that lifted them to impressive heights during last year’s playoffs.
With the StoneX crowd behind them in full cry, and with a more complete all-round game, Saracens should book themselves a ticket to Twickenham here.
Tigers 18/100 | Draw 25/1 | Saints 4/1 (17:30)
After a memorable regular season, Leicester have just Saints standing in the way of a first final appearance since 2013 when the two sides clash at Welford Road.
Steve Borthwick’s men have been brutal this campaign, storming out to a considerable lead early on and never really looking back. 20 wins from 24 games tells the tale of a team that has been utterly dominant this season and one that is desperate to claim a first title in nine long years.
Saints secured their semi-final qualification following last week’s 65-26 defeat of Newcastle and have looked better in patches under Chris Boyd this season. Despite this, two losses to the Tigers won’t do their psyche any good.
Leicester have won all 13 of their home games this season and should make it 14 here.
