Bath storm into Guinness Premiership play-offs
The final weekend of the Guinness Premiership regular season threatened to develop into a damp squib with the 12 teams involved left with little to play for.
However, all six matches managed to provide enough interest and excitement to leave fans hungry for the forthcoming play-offs.
Almost inevitably, Bath were the big story of the final round of matches, holding their nerve to clinch a play-off semi-final against Leicester Tigers on Sunday.
Steve Meehan’s side have hit top form at exactly the right time – sealing 11 wins from their last 12 matches. A resounding 39-3 victory at the Recreation Ground was only Bath’s 12th victory of the campaign; but it was enough for them to book their place in the top four.
On current form, Leicester have every right to be wary of their play-off opponents – especially as the Tigers showed a rare glimpse of their own frailties at Welford Road on Saturday.
Richard Cockerill’s men suffered their sixth defeat of the season – and only the first time they’ve been beaten on home soil over the last nine months – on this occasion by fellow play-off hopefuls Saracens in their own back yard. The Sarries pulled off one of the results of the year, handing themselves a huge confidence boost going into the play-off semis. Glen Jackson’s clinical kicking eventually proved the difference, as Leicester were beaten 32-23.
On the basis of that impressive away performance, second-placed Northampton Saints have also been given one or two things to think about ahead of their play-off semi-final against Saracens.
The Saints will contest Sunday’s must-win tie at Franklin’s Gardens after finishing as runners-up; but that provides few guarantees that they’ll triumph. It was only two weeks ago that Jim Mallinder’s side were beaten by the Sarries on home turf. However, a 31-7 away victory over London Irish on Saturday at least ended their memorable regular season with a final-day win.
Chris Ashton, arguably Northampton’s key man this season, admirably played just days after the tragic loss of his father to cancer. The 23-year-old showed tremendous mental strength and character to not only help the Saints retain second place; but to also score his 15th try of the season – earning him the accolade of the Guinness Premiership’s top try scorer.
Elsewhere, London Wasps were still hopeful prior to kick-off that they could sneak back into the play-offs ahead of Bath. Sadly for them, that dream remained mere fantasy, despite a final day 25-21 victory over Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park. The 2008 champions have now finished outside of the top four for a second successive campaign, leaving question marks over the futures of several of their players.
The club’s fifth place finish also marks a disappointing end to the Wasps careers of England duo Danny Cipriani and Paul Sackey, who will both leave Adams Park this summer for Australia and France respectively.
The Falcons secured a bonus-point for their efforts, and subsequently leapfrogged Leeds into ninth place. Currently without a manager and with their captain, Carl Hayman, departing for Toulon - it’s set to be a particularly busy summer at Kingston Park.
Meanwhile, Harlequins and Sale Sharks played out a routine end-of-season match at the Stoop. As expected, Quins were the comfortable winners, sealing their ninth win of the campaign and an eighth place finish. Sale can count their lucky stars that they’re not doomed to spending life inside the Championship next season – during any other year they may have lost their top-flight status with just 32 points to their name.
It’s a credit to the competitiveness of this year’s Premiership that the season has gone right to the wire. Worcester Warriors knew before the weekend that their short-term future lied away from the top-flight; but they battled valiantly against Gloucester at Sixways to so nearly secure their fourth win of the season.
In the end, though, they were denied victory by the gods as Willie Walker’s 22 metre drop-goal attempt in the dying seconds agonisingly hit the upright. After leading by two points at the break, Worcester eventually lost by a single point in a thrilling 23-22 defeat.
In those few seconds, Worcester’s unfortunate season was summed up perfectly; and they will now compete outside of the Premiership following a six-year spell inside it.
For those outside of the top four, their players will now take a well-earned break after playing their part in one of the most exciting Premiership campaigns since the league’s inception in 1987.
But for those fortunate enough to finish inside the top four, they will now fight it out during Sunday’s play-offs – each of them gunning for a place in the coveted 2009/10 Guinness Premiership Final.
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