Time To Shine - Aviva Premiership Round 21 - Preview

So here we are, we have arrived at the penultimate round of the domestic season before the playoffs take centre stage. Prior to Round 21 only one playoff position has been decided however come sunset on Sunday evening we are likely to have much greater clarity on our playoff contenders. 

Last year's fixture sent Bath
out of playoffs

The round kicks off in London as The Twickenham Stoop hosts its second set of Friday Night Lights in as many weeks with Harlequins welcoming Bath Rugby to town. This fixture is set to be a feisty one, last season Harlequins were the side that denied Bath a playoff position with their final round victory and revenge will be on the minds of the visitors. Bath require just one win out of their final two fixtures to secure knockout rugby and with a four game domestic winning streak and the second best away record in the league they’ll be targeting this fixture. Harlequins may have stuttered over the course of the year however in Round 20 they started to re-find their groove. There are a number of intriguing match ups including Louw and Robshaw at the breakdownand Evans and Ford in the middle. Bath undoubtedly have more to play for and I expect them to turn up all guns blazing at The Stoop.

At the AJ Bell Stadium the Sale Sharks will be hoping that they can give Mark Cueto a joyous home send off with a victory over the Newcastle Falcons. Sale have only won one of their last five Aviva Premiership matches but according to Steve Diamond this week they have ‘got their ducks in a row’. The Falcons' motivation is clear, they have two games left to show that the strides that they have made from a performance perspective can be translated into victories. When Sam Tuitupou, Jonny Leota and Sinoti Sinoti are all expected to be on the field bruising runs and blistering breaks should be a given, this one could be a cracker, if the weather gods deliver. 

Further South, Gloucester Rugby will host London Irish in their first game since being crowned the 2015 European Challenge Cup Champions. Whilst David Humphreys stated directly after their victory that ‘they would work for every Premiership point possible’ I do expect a spot of squad rotation to occur. London Irish’s only win on the road since September was at London Welsh in February and as we all know Kingsholm isn’t an easy place to travel to. It is vital that Glenn Delaney has instilled a spot of confidence in his side since after their tough Round 20 loss at The Rec and it will be interesting to see how they bounce back. Referee Craig Maxwell-Keys will take charge of his first game since that intense night at Franklin’s Gardens and it will be another strong test for the young man in front of an audience that aren't afraid of voicing their opinions, The Shed.  

The only side to have qualified for the playoffs so far, the Northampton Saints will welcome London Welsh to Franklin’s Gardens. The Saints are in a fortunate position where a victory will secure them a home Semi Final and with all due respect to London Welsh I expect them to deliver one this weekend. At the Stadium mK Jim Mallinder’s men looked much more like themselves after their mid season wobble and now is their time to seal the deal. London Welsh’s output has been building game on game and prior to Chris Halau’fia’s red card at Welford Road they made the Tigers work. Welsh need to focus on continued improvement and it would be great to see Tom May lead them out for one of his last game ever at his former club.

Two critical men
for Wasps

The Ricoh Arena will host its first ever Derby Day fixture between Wasps and the Leicester Tigers in front of a full house as 32,600 tickets have been sold for the Round 21 match. It is a vital fixture for both sides, Leicester are precariously poised in fourth positions with Exeter and indeed Wasps close behind them. Wasps have the best domestic home record of any side in the league having lost just once at the Ricoh however against the Tigers they their record is less positive, with just one victory in their last five encounters. In Round 20 Leicester secured five points against London Welsh however they did so the hard way and if they are to take the spoils on Derby Day they must raise their game. The Ben Youngs versus Joe Simpson battle will be sublime to watch and it will be superb to see Joe Launchbury returning to the action from the bench after months out with a neck injury.  Derby Days always cause Leicester to raise their game, however Wasps have the upper hand based on recent performances, expect sparks to fly for the first of many derbies. 

The only Sunday fixture is at Allianz Park where Saracens will host the Exeter Chiefs. As the table currently stands a 5 point victory would guarantee Saracens a place in the playoffs and if other results work in their favour they may only need a victory however the Chiefs will provide stern opposition. Exeter’s season has surpassed all expectations however they’re hungry for success and know the Top 4 is within their grasp. Cool heads will be required from Rob Baxter’s side at Allianz Park and they’ll need to really exert their own game on Saracens as they struggled to do for the full eighty against Wasps in Round 20. Saracens love playing at home and haven’t lost domestically at Allianz Park since Round 8 however they picked up a few concerning injuries at the stadium mK and looked a little tired. The hope for all Saracens’ fans is that two weeks of rest and recuperation have revitalised their side and they will secure a playoff place for the sixth successive year.