Aviva Premiership preview: London Wasps v Leicester Tigers
At this early stage of the season, the 12 clubs in the Premiership begin to settle down and the league table slowly becomes a more accurate reflection of what to expect at the end of the campaign.
After the opening two matches, Bath currently occupy top spot just ahead of Northampton Saints. Meanwhile, Leicester Tigers broke into the top four last weekend, Saracens jumped from 12th to 7th, and Leeds Carnegie find themselves in familiar territory: rock bottom.
This weekend will see all 12 teams embark on their third league matches of the campaign, with London Wasps v Leicester Tigers far and away the standout fixture.
Wasps currently languish second to bottom in the Premiership table after a draw and a defeat in their first two matches, while Leicester survived a scare against Exeter Chiefs last weekend to seal their rightful place inside the top four.
The two clubs will go head-to-head at Adams Park on Saturday afternoon in front of the Sky Sports cameras, and the Tigers will be looking to end their barren spell against the London-based club. The last time Leicester won at Adams Park was in September 2007, and despite their bad start to the season, Wasps will be no push-overs on home turf.
Meanwhile, Exeter prepare for their next match in the top-flight against Newcastle Falcons at Sandy Park. Many pundits had tipped these two clubs to be firmly in the relegation mire come April, but as it stands, neither team even feature in the bottom four.
The Chiefs gave a tremendous account of themselves against Leicester last Saturday, taking a stunning 20-10 lead at Welford Road before eventually losing 37-27, and currently lie in fifth place following their opening weekend victory over Gloucester.
As for Newcastle, they certainly sprang a surprise last Friday with a superb 29-17 win against Wasps, but will have their work cut out to beat the plucky Exeter away from home.
Only a miraculous escape allowed Leeds Carnegie to beat the drop last season, and if the club’s start to this campaign is anything to go by, they may need another dose of divine intervention next spring.
They welcome Saracens to Headingley on Sunday afternoon, knowing that big improvements are needed from their first two matches. The Sarries will be favourites following their 28-13 win over Sale Sharks, but their inconsistency means that this intriguing Premiership fixture is far from a foregone conclusion.
Along with Saracens, London Irish are also expected to be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. In order to make the play-offs they’ll need to pick up maximum points against the likes of Gloucester, who they face at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
In order to avoid being sucked into trouble, the Cherry and Whites need to start getting results away from home. Winning at the home of the Exiles wouldn’t be a bad start, but there’s no getting away from the fact that Bryan Redpath’s men are the underdogs.
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