The Aviva Premiership is the competition that just keeps on giving, this weekend Round 17 arrives at the party and with a single point separating second place and sixth place every single move and every single point scored this weekend could be critical to a side's future in the competition. If one side slips up now then they could be kicking themselves for a very long time... the stakes have never been higher and I for one am totally and utterly absorbed by this year's competition.
To commence the round, the Friday Night Lights return to The Rec as Bath Rugby will host the Sale Sharks. Bath’s recent run of form hasn’t been up to the very high standards that they set themselves this year, they have slipped to three defeats in a row and to all concerned with Mike Ford's side this fixture is marked as a 'must win'. Sale didn’t enjoy themselves in Round 16 as they had a tough time against the Leicester Tigers however the return of Danny Cipriani from Pennyhill Park is a huge boost. We all know that rugby is a team sport and that Sale have strength in a number of areas however Danny's presence provides every single Sale player with confidence and makes every member of the opposition more than a little wary. I have high hopes that this will be one of the game's of the round, both side house men that love to run the ball and forwards that are hugely physical and proficient when it comes to the set piece and breakdown. On a final note we must say congratulations to the man in the middle, Wayne Barnes, as he will become only the third referee to take charge of 150 Premiership matches. Congratulations Wayne!
In Sandy Park the Exeter Chiefs will host London Welsh and aim to continue their stellar run of form by securing their fourth Aviva Premiership victory in a row. The Chiefs have made it clear that they are going to focus on securing their set piece and starting hard from the offset in order to deliver a solid five points and press on at the top of the table. Exeter are alive and kicking in three competitions and with the confidence that is driving their game they should look to replicate their impressive Round 1 victory over the Exiles. London Welsh are continuing with their quest for points and that elusive 80 minute performance. For Welsh the writing has been on the wall for a number of rounds and now they have to focus on the small margins and the small wins in their game in order to continue driving forwards. 
At Kingsholm Gloucester Rugby will welcome the Aviva Premiership leaders, the Northampton Saints to town and will also welcome back Greig Laidlaw from Scotland duty. In Round 16 the Cherry and Whites played some great rugby however they continue to miss that vital ruthless edge. Conversely, Jim Mallinder’s men found their ruthless streak a long time ago and are setting the blueprint for how Aviva Premiership rugby should be played combining enforcing, strong forwards with creative and inventive backs. The memories of Round 1 will be fresh for both sides, Gloucester must show how far they have come since that 53 points to 6 loss whilst the Saints will want to show that they are stronger than ever, in their quest to become the first side to secure a home Semi Final spot. 
The first of the Sunday fixtures is at the Ricoh Arena where Wasps welcome Saracens for their first visitor to their new home. Saracens were pushed hard by the Newcastle Falcons in Round 16 and they’ll be stronger for it. Wasps didn’t deliver a complete performance in Round 16 but nevertheless they secured an important five points. Both sides will need to be at the top of their games in order to outsmart the other and with Alex Goode, Brad Barritt, Mako Vunipola and Richard Wigglesworth all returning for the away team it is going to be Wasps' toughest task to date in order to retain Fortress Ricoh. Both sides have dynamic backs and powerful forwards so expect fireworks of all varieties in the Midlands. 
The final game of the weekend is at Kingston Park where the Newcastle Falcons host the Leicester Tigers. The Falcons have been building and building performance wise and fruits of Dean Richards’ and Dave Walders’ labour are clearly evident in their flowing and ambitious rugby. However the crux of the matter is that they have only won one of their last eight Aviva Premiership matches. In contrast the Leicester Tigers haven’t played vintage rugby this season however they have delivered the results regardless. On home turf the Falcons always raise their game, as they highlighted against Saracens they have more than enough invention out the back to pick holes through defensive lines however the question will be whether they have produce a secure enough set piece against the ever building Tigers’ pack. 