Welcome to a decisive round of Aviva Premiership action - Round 20 will go a long way towards determining the final make up at the top and the bottom of the table. Some teams are heading into this weekend off the back of a two week break while others have been battling it out in Europe. It’s a round that includes numerous derby fixtures and a basement battle between Newcastle Falcons and London Irish. Personally I’ll be locked into BT Sport’s coverage instead of being at any of the live matches as I’m working on the Women’s Sevens Series from late afternoon until the wee hours on both Saturday and Sunday morning and am looking forward to seeing how all of the action pans out.
We'll start the weekend with two sides that are both looking to bounce back after European disappointment. Of the two losses it was Exeter Chiefs’ that was the most agonising to watch and Rob Baxter has already charged his men with securing a home semi-final saying ‘it is in their hands’. The Head Coach has made just one change to the side that faced Wasps with Moray Low out due to injury and Harry Williams being promoted from the bench. David Humphreys has made four changes to his side and tasked them with delivering ‘consistency’ for their final three matches. Once again Gloucester’s season has tailed off, they've lost five on the bounce in all competitions and injuries have hurt them. Exeter haven’t ever done the Premiership double over their west country rivals but with the type of rugby that they are playing I can see them going to Kingsholm and inflicting more misery on The Shed. 
Round 19 was bitter sweet for the Worcester Warriors as they secured their Premiership place for next season but were absolutely thumped by the Exeter Chiefs. It will be interesting to see how the Warriors react in these final three matches knowing that they’re safe, hopefully they’ll use them as an opportunity to express themselves against tough opposition. Wasps will be buzzing, no pun intended, after the euphoria of their last gasp victory against the Exeter Chiefs. As their Champions Cup game progressed they improved and by the end were showing us their full box of tricks with the Piutau brothers and Elliot Daly playing with the type of invention and flair that only they can deliver. Without question Wasps will have far too much for Worcester but I hope that the Warriors pitch up and make a great go of it. 
Wembley Stadium will host Saracens’ derby day with Harlequins and Mark McCall’s side will be looking to avenge the Round 8 match at The Stoop that halted their unbeaten start to the season. Saracens’ opening forty minutes against Northampton were uncharacteristically off colour and lacked the intensity that they are famous for. But, they stepped it up in the second-half and in front of a huge crowd at Wembley I expect to see Mark McCall’s side in full flow. Harlequins need to use the pristine turf at the home of football to their advantage, they were pushed hard by London Irish but prevailed and must continue to play with their trademark tempo and pace. Quins have not achieved a season double over their London neighbours since 2008/09 and to do so it will take a formidable performance, with every single one of their internationals delivering at their peak,
The final derby of the day will be at Franklin’s Gardens where Northampton Saints host Leicester Tigers. Sport Magazine’s Charlie Morgan delivered a great stat earlier in the week that said the last Premiership game between the two sides which ended without any cards being given was October 2009! Northampton Saints were without so many key men against Saracens and although Tom Wood and Kieran Brookes return they're still missing some vital firepower. Teimana Harrison continues to catch the eye but the question is whether Saints will be able to dust themselves off and deliver another game of test match intensity with a squad shawn of so many players? Leicester Tigers played some superb rugby against Stade Francais Paris, yes Stade were a bit of a shambles, but Leicester’s output was sharp, crisp and filled with flair. Peter Betham, Telusa Veianu and a revitalised Vereniki Goneva should continue where they left off while Freddie Burns is approaching the form of his career. On an East Midlands derby day you have to expect the unexpected, the intensity will be off the charts as both know that their play-off positions are on the line.
At the AJ Bell Stadium Sale are hosting Bath for the first of two consecutive meetings between the two. Steve Diamond’s side suffered at the hands of a physical Montpellier side in Europe and didn’t adapt to referee John Lacey and that's omething that they’ll need to change this weekend. Due to their early exit from the European competition Bath have had two weeks off since they faced Saracens in Round 19 and the question is whether or not the break will have rejuvenated a side that aren’t really enjoying themselves this season? Stuart Hooper’s immediate retirement is a huge loss - the tributes from players and coaches across the competition speak for themselves. For 8 years he has been at the heart of the club, his leadership is outstanding and one of the reasons that they've struggled this year has been due to his absence on the field. Bath have not achieved a Premiership season’s double over Sale since 2010/11 and Steve Diamond’s team will be ready to front up physically and prove that they are very much in the Top 6 mix. 
The final game of the weekend is an almighty clash at the bottom of the table between Newcastle Falcons and London Irish. Newcastle have lost their last six matches in the competition but Dean Richards is heaping the pressure on their opponents saying that Irish are the one’s that are ‘desperate’ while his side ‘have nothing to lose’. On the one hand he is right as the focus is on Irish because they are four-points adrift at the foot of the table but the home side aren’t devoid of pressure themselves. This match will be about the players managing their own emotions as much as their physical output because one mistake could decide their side’s future. Newcastle have two elements in their favour; first, they have been in this position more times than Irish and more recently and second they are on home soil. Irish haven’t won away from home since February-15 but showed much greater quality against Harlequins in Europe last weekend and have to deliver to that level again this weekend.
Full Fixture Schedule
Fri 15 April - 7.45pm - Gloucester Rugby v Exeter Chiefs (BT Sport)
Sat 16 April - 3pm - Worcester Warriors v Wasps
Sat 16 April - 3.15pm - Saracens v Harlequins (BT Sport)
Sat 16 April - 5.30pm - Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers (BT Sport)
Sun 17 April - 2.30pm - Sale Sharks v Bath Rugby
Sun 17 April - 3pm - Newcastle Falcons v London Irish (BT Sport)
