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Gallagher Premiership

PREVIEW: Saracens face Bristol, Gloucester travel to Exeter and more as Premiership returns

After a two-week break for the Champions and Challenge Cups, the Gallagher Premiership makes its return with Round 16 of the comp serving up some solid fixtures including a top v bottom clash between Saracens and Bristol as well as a tasty tie between Exeter and Gloucester.

Exeter Chiefs and Saracens Sandy Park Exeter Gallagher Premiership
Image Copyright - Steve Haag Sports

After a two-week break for the Champions and Challenge Cups, the Gallagher Premiership makes its return with Round 16 of the comp serving up some solid fixtures including a top v bottom clash between Saracens and Bristol as well as a tasty tie between Exeter and Gloucester.

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

Friday 27 January

Sale 27/100 |  Draw 25/1 | Bath 3/1 (21:45)

Handicap
Sale (-8.5) 17/20 | Bath (+8.5) 17/20

We kick things off up north with the second-placed Sale Sharks taking on 10th-placed Bath. As absurd as it may sound considering their dreadful start to the season, Bath are in with an outside chance of making the semi-finals as they are now eight points adrift of fourth-place Gloucester.

The hosts for Friday evening’s encounter come into this one off the back of a very poor fortnight in Europe with defeats at the hands of Ulster (22-11) and Toulouse seeing them bomb out of the Champions Cup. Bath fared slightly better in the Challenge Cup, narrowly going down 23-25 to Toulon and then drawing 19-19 away to Glasgow.

I reckon the hosts will put their Heineken Cup woes behind them by registering a big win over Bath this Friday. I’m on the (-8.5) at 17/20. 


Saturday 28 January

Leicester 2/7 | Draw 22/1 | Northampton 29/10 (16:00)

Handicap
Leicester (-8.5)  8/10 | Northampton (+8.5) 9/10

We head over to Leicester for Saturday’s opener which will see the seventh-placed Tigers take on the sixth-placed Northampton Saints. The two sides are only separated by points differential on the Premiership standings and this one could have a massive bearing on whether these outfits make the semi-finals this season.

The Tigers produced a real mixed bag in Europe beating French big guns Clermont 24-44 in France before going down 25-27 to the Ospreys at home. The win and narrow loss were enough for the Tigers to advance to the Champions Cup Round of 16, however.

Northampton capped off their own Champions Cup campaign off with something of a whimper as they went down 27-23 to Munster and then 13-31 to La Rochelle.

The hosts carry better form into this one and while I expect Northampton to put up a real fight, I can’t see anything but a Leicester win on Saturday. I’ll be on Northampton to remain within the cap, though. 

Saracens 17/100 | Draw 25/1 |Bristol 42/10 (17:00)

Handicap
Saracens | Bristol *tba

League leaders Saracens will take on a struggling Bristol Bears outfit in North London. The Bears are currently rooted to the foot of the table having only managed three wins from 11 domestic fixtures. The pressure is now on Pat Lamb and his talented squad to turn things around or Bristol may well see a mass clearout at the close of this season.

Saracens marched into the knock-out phase of the Champions Cup with a win and a defeat. They recorded a solid 48-21 victory over Lyon in Round 3 but were then beaten 20-14 by Edinburgh in the final pool phase round. In fairness to North London’s finest, they did send a slightly weakened team over to Scotland for the encounter.

Bristol’s solid form in Europe continued as they won their final two round-robin phase fixtures beating Italian minnows Zebre 11-34 and French lightweights Perpignan 33-19. While these are hardly the most eye-catching results, back-to-back wins should at least boost the Bears’ confidence heading into Saturday’s clash.

I reckon we could well see a high-scorer here with both sides knowing their way to the try line. I can see Saracens pulling away near the end of the fixture, however, and I’m inclined to back the hosts to clear the handicap.

Exeter 2/7 | Tie 22/1 | Gloucester 29/10 (18:30)

Handicap
Exeter (-8.5) 17/20 | Gloucester (+8.5) 17/20

We head to Sandy Park next where the hit-and-miss Exeter Chiefs will be looking to advance their hopes of booking a Gallagher Premiership semi-final by getting one over fourth-placed Gloucester who sit a point above them on the Premiership standings.

The Chiefs had a decent enough close to their Champions Cup pool phase campaign as they were plucky during their 39-28 defeat to the Bulls at altitude and then bounced back with a 40-3 victory over Castres, which secured them a spot in the knock-out phase of the tournament.

Gloucester also managed to book a berth in the Champions Cup round of 16 as they beat Bordeaux 17-26 away from home after going down 14-49 to Leinster in England.

I reckon this will be an extremely close-run affair with my money on the hosts sneaking the win. I’m on Gloucester to remain within the ‘cap.

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