Guinness Premiership preview: play-off semi-finals
For the top four Guinness Premiership clubs, just 80 minutes now stand in the way between them and a clear shot at winning the title.
The long-awaited semi-finals will take place on Sunday afternoon, with the two victors advancing to the grand final at Twickenham on May 29th.
Northampton Saints v Saracens (Sunday 1:30pm)
First up, it’s the battle between second and third as Northampton Saints host Saracens.
With just two points separating the teams over the course of the regular season, it promises to be a tight, tense and cagey encounter at Franklin’s Gardens.
The home side have enjoyed another superb season under head coach Jim Mallinder, and have pulled up trees to finish second in the Premiership table. Meanwhile, their opponents, could have – and probably should have - topped the league after a blistering start to the campaign. Had they not stumbled up in such spectacular fashion around the turn of the year, they’d have the luxury of a home semi-final this weekend.
However, if the most recent match between the two clubs is anything to go by, then home advantage won’t necessarily count for much. Back in April, the Sarries travelled to Northampton and ran out 28-27 winners. With the match decided by the narrowest of margins, that could well have been a precursor of what to expect this weekend.
It’s been an awkward couple of days for Saracens’ director of rugby, Brendan Venter, who’s been slapped with a misconduct charge for allegedly pushing a female Leicester fan; but he will be desperate to keep his players’ minds focused on the job in hand this Sunday.
Neither side have ever won the coveted title – or have even appeared in a Premiership Final for that matter. This will obviously change this month, with both teams better equipped than ever before to go all the way to the final and lift the trophy.
The Saints will be looking to play their customary brand of exciting, attacking rugby; but they will need to ensure they avoid complacency against a very efficient Saracens outfit to reach the Promised Land.
Leicester Tigers v Bath Rugby (Sunday 4pm)
The second semi-final of the weekend sees in-form Bath face a daunting away tie against the formidable Leicester.
The Tigers are bidding for a second consecutive league title, after again finishing top of the table at the end of the regular season. Bath, though, have no-one to fear after winning 11 of their last 12 matches. And one particular reason for Steve Meehan’s side to be fearless going into this semi-final is the fact that their opponents have lost six matches this season.
However, Bath’s one defeat out of their last 12 matches did come against the ruthless Leicester, and it was a typically comprehensive 43-20 defeat at that.
If Bath can beat Richard Cockerill’s unit at Welford Road this Sunday, it would have to rank among the standout performances of the season. It would also hand the club from the Recreation Ground the chance to win their seventh league title.
On the other hand, victory for Leicester would hand the Tigers an ideal opportunity to add an incredible ninth title to their already glistening trophy cabinet – and they will go into this semi-final as strong favourites.
If they play to their strengths then there’s no reason why Leicester won’t reach yet another Premiership Final. In fact, it would be a huge shock if they don’t.
Equipped with the necessary know how and experience, Bath have their work cut out against the reigning champions this weekend. A shock shouldn’t be entirely ruled out of the reckoning, but Bath are rightfully regarded as the overwhelming underdogs.
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