Aviva Premiership: Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers
In the final months of last season, Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints contrived to produce one of the most exciting regular-season finales in years.
Just two points separated the Premiership’s top two clubs at the end of the campaign, and it was table-toppers Leicester who eventually went on to lift the coveted trophy after their 33-27 victory over Saracens in the play-off final.
Now, as the Aviva Premiership prepares for its opening weekend of the 2010/11 season, the two clubs are braced to begin their respective campaigns by going toe-to-toe at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday afternoon.
The importance of an early-season win over their rivals cannot be understated, and both Richard Cockerill – Leicester head coach – and his Northampton counterpart, Jim Mallinder, will be hoping their players are mentally and physically ready for the new season.
The two clubs last met at the end of February, and it was the Saints who triumphed. But the hosts know all about the quality of their opponents, and won’t even be thinking about past results going into Sunday’s highly-anticipated clash.
Meanwhile, this weekend will also see a fascinating double-header at Twickenham, including the first live televised match of the new Aviva Premiership.
First up, on Saturday at 2pm, London Irish and Saracens go head-to-head at HQ. Big things are expected of both clubs this season, with the Exiles tipped for a play-off berth and the Sarries expected to run Leicester and Northampton close in the race for top spot.
Then, at 4.30pm, London Wasps and Harlequins face off in front of an expected crowd of 75,000. It’s been another summer of Bloodgate fallout for Quins, but it finally feels like this season will see the scandal put to bed once and for all. While Wasps begin their first campaign in six years without fly-half Danny Cipriani, and bid for an early season victory over a team with similar strengths.
Also on Saturday afternoon, at 3pm, newly-promoted Exeter Chiefs begin their first season inside the top-flight against the inconsistent Gloucester.
Exeter’s 10,000-capacity Sandy Park will host this weekend’s match, and head coach Rob Baxter will be relying on the club’s home ground to gain fortress status this season. You never know quite what you’re going to get with the Cherry and Whites, and this fixture has real potential to produce the upset of the weekend.
And finally, Leeds Carnegie and Bath will contest the final match of the weekend at Headingley, which takes place at the same time as Leicester v Northampton – Sunday 3pm.
Leeds only just escaped relegation in May after a dire start to last season, while Bath once again aim to finish inside the top four. Their task may be made easier this year with the arrival of Sir Ian McGeechan as performance director and flanker Lewis Moody from Leicester Tigers, but if Leeds can carry on from where they left off, Bath will be in store for a difficult afternoon.
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