In the penultimate week of fixtures in the regular Aviva Premiership season, there’s some tasty clashes as the likes of Wasps and Tigers tussle for semi-final spots.
Sharks v Falcons – 14:00 (BST)
A bonus point win is top of the agenda for the seventh-place Sharks as they face the lowly Falcons at the AJ Bell Stadium.
If the Sharks are to have any chance of catching Wasps – who are eight points clear of them in the final Champions Cup qualification position – they need a thumping win over the Newcastle Falcons in what will all-time record Aviva Premiership point scorer Mark Cueto’s last appearance at the AJ Bell.
Sharks will fancy their chances too against a Falcons side has lost its last six league outings and hasn’t won an away Premiership fixture since October 2013.
Best Bet: Sharks -10 Handicap – Evens at Boylesports
Sharks Line-Up: Arscott, Brady, Leota, Tuitupou, Cueto, Cipriani, Cusiter, Lewis-Roberts, Taylor, Cobilas, Mills, Hines, Braid, Seymour, Beaumont.
Falcons Line-Up: Hammersley, Tait, Powell, Socino, Sinoti, Clegg, Tipuna, Vickers, Lawson, Brookes, Green, Thompson, Wilson, Welch, Hogg.
Gloucester v Irish – 15:00 (BST)
Ninth faces 10th at Kingsholm, in what is largely a dead rubber tie with Gloucester having already sealed a play-off place for Europe’s elite competition having beaten Edinburgh in the European Rugby Challenge Final last Friday.
Irish are struggling on the road, with only one away win since September, and you can expect Gloucester to prevail again here.
Best Bet: Gloucester Half-Time/Full-Time – 4/5 at Coral
Gloucester Line-Up: Sharples, May, Macken, Twelvetrees, Purdy, Burns, Laidlaw, G. Thomas, Hibbard, Puafisi, Savage, Galarza, D. Thomas, Kvesic, Evans
Irish Line-Up: Fenby, Lewington, Griffin, Geraghty, Short, Noakes, O’Leary, Court, Paice, Palframan, Skivington, Sinclair, Narraway, Cowan, Guest.
Saints v Welsh – 15:00 (BST)
Top of the table Saints meet bottom club London Welsh at Franklin’s Garden, in what will surely be a one-sided affair.
A likely win for the Saints would secure them a home play-off semi-final for a second consecutive year. It’s been a miserable season for the long-since relegated Welsh, who have secured just one losing bonus point all season.
Best Bet: Saints -46 Handicap – 13/10 at BetVictor
Saints Line-Up: Tuala, K. Pisi, G. Pisi, Burrell, Elliott, Myler, Dickson, Waller, Hartley, Denman, Lawes, Day, Wood, Clark, Manoa.
Welsh Line-Up: Jewell, Awcock, Reynolds, May, Elder, Barkley, Rowley, Trevett, Britton, Cooper, West, Corker, Browne, Waters, Fonua.
Wasps v Tigers – 15:15 (BST)
In the biggest match of the day, Wasps welcome Leicester Tigers to a sold-out Ricoh Arena with a semi-final place still very much up for grabs.
Tigers currently hold the last semi-final place, however a Wasps win won see them leapfrog their opponents with just one match remaining.
Best Bet: Wasps Half-Time/Full-Time – 11/10 at Ladbrokes
Wasps Line-Up: Masi, Wade, Daly, Leiua, Tagicakibau, Goode, Simpson, Mullan, Festuccia, Cittadini, Gaskell, Myall, Johnson, Haskell, Hughes.
Tigers Line-Up: Morris, Thompstone, Tait, Bai, Goneva, Burns, B. Youngs, Mulipola, T. Youngs, D. Cole, B. Thorn, Kitchener, Parling, Salvi, Crane.
