Round 22 Preview - The Final Round...

So here we are, we have reached the final round of the Aviva Premiership 2013/14 season, and it has been one of the closest and most dramatic seasons of recent years…

Over the past eight months there have been countless twists and turns in the race for European action – some clubs have exceeded expectations, whilst others have fallen short and fans have been delighted by countless minutes of outstanding action.

Now, it all comes down to this: six matches, one round of rugby… on Saturday afternoon all of the fixtures will all kick off at 3.15pm and the final Aviva Premiership playoff spot will be decided.

Newcastle v Exeter:

In the North of the country the Newcastle Falcons welcome the Exeter Chiefs to Kingston Park... the Falcons and their supporters can now breathe a huge sigh of relief after they secured a place in English rugby’s top flight for another year last weekend.

Dean Richards’ side have had quite a challenging season – as do so many clubs that are newly promoted from the Championship; however, they have survived and they will want to showcase their full repertoire of skills at the weekend.

The Exeter Chiefs have also had their fair share of challenges this year, from the highs of their early season form and their LV Cup winning performance, to their Round 20 low against the Sale Sharks... it must have been emotional to be part of the Tribe this year.

The Chiefs so narrowly lost out to Harlequins in Round 21 and it is certain that Dean Mumm and his men will want to show just how much further on they are in their development than the Falcons, and put in a huge performance.

If the sun is shining then I’m expecting another fast paced game, both sides have some stunning runners: Sinoti, Cato and Vainikolo are the most prolific, and if either forget to pack their defence then we could be in for another try fest.

 

Leicester v Saracens:

Welford Road is likely to be an emotional place this weekend as the fans will say goodbye to Club Captain Toby Flood before he heads across the Channel to France.

The Tigers are hosting Saracens, in what could be a rehearsal for an Aviva Premiership semi-final; however, that all depends on the outcome of the match at The Stoop. Arguably the best way to describe Leicester’s season would be to say that it has been 'testing’; however, like the true champions that they are, they have battled through and secured themselves a playoff spot, regardless.

It says an awful lot about Richard Cockerill, his coaching team and the players, that they have pushed themselves into such a strong position in-spite of everything and I expect them to continue pushing hard this weekend to retain their momentum.

On the other hand this season, Saracens have blossomed – they have evolved and their decision to expand their game plan has paid dividends.

Sarries put out a nearly full strength squad against Worcester last weekend, so the question as to what they will do against Leicester will remain a mystery until 12pm on Friday lunchtime!

 

London Irish v Sale Sharks:

At the Madjeski Stadium London Irish will welcome the Sale Sharks for both sides’ last game of the season... signing off on a high will be the aim and I suspect that tries will be the result.

Steve Diamond is a very strong contender for this season’s Director of Rugby, and rightly so, as he has unlocked the best from his side after last year’s skirmish with potential relegation. This year Sale have been a tight unit, they have been powerfully led from the front by Dan Braid and his pack, whilst in behind them Dwayne Peel and Danny Cipriani have pushed the charge from the half-backs.

Since the arrival of James O’Connor in late October London Irish have played with more confidence, although, they haven’t delivered the type of consistency that they would have hoped for. Alex Lewington has made headlines with his performances and up-front Blair Cowen has been phenomenal.

On Saturday afternoon the Exiles will wish to give their home crowd a show whilst the Sharks will want to end the year as they started it with a big fat W next to their name.  

 

Worcester v Gloucester:

Worcester’s last game in the Aviva Premiership will be on home soil at Sixways against Gloucester. It must be extremely difficult to go through the emotions of being relegated and still have to pick yourselves up and play one final match.

However, the Warriors certainly know a thing or two about resilience, so I expect them to fight hard at home.

Gloucester, on the other hand, have had a really tough year, watching Charlie Sharples on BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight Show last week it appeared even the players can’t quite put their finger on why things just haven't gelled on the pitch.

For 80 minutes pride will be at stake for both sides – a win for Worcester may be immaterial; however, it would mean the world to the squad whist the Cherry and Whites will be targeting a bonus point victory that screams class.

 

Northampton v London Wasps:

The first of the two televised matches is at Franklin’s Gardens, where two teams that will be very happy with themselves face each other: the Northampton Saints and London Wasps.

Northampton’s happiness stems from the fact they have sewn up their home playoff position after that dramatic draw against Bath, whilst Harlequins did London Wasps a huge favor beating the Chiefs last weekend and guaranteed them a trip to France for the European playoff.

It is likely that a few ‘key’ men on both sides will be rested, as it’s only sensible that bumps and bruises are given an extra week to recover; although, don’t think that it will make the match any less competitive.

Saints and Wasps both have strong squads and both have individuals that are chomping at the bit to get out there and play, so expect the hits to be hard and the rugby to be fast and furious at Franklin’s Gardens.

 

THE BIG ONE – Harlequins v Bath:

The final game to preview is the BIG ONE, a fixture now dubbed as the Aviva Premiership Quarter Final – the knockout game between Harlequins and Bath at The Stoop.

It is very simple, winning is everything; the winner takes all and will be the one to progress into the playoffs. There will be no speculation regarding selection decisions, both sides will field their strongest match day 23 possible and it will be epic.

Bath and Harlequins have the ability to play stunning rugby; they have delicious combinations of ferocious forwards and blistering backs and light up whichever stadium they are playing in.

Quins, on the other hand, have a spot of emotional momentum behind them after such a dramatic period of late, whilst Bath have shown grit and determination throughout.  

The home side’s medical staff will be working overtime to try to get Mike Brown, George Robson and Sam Smith back in action, whilst Bath’s will be nursing Ross Batty back to health.

It is fitting that such a stupendous season has such a dramatic climax. Sparks will fly in South West London, under the shadow of Twickenham Stadium, were the Aviva Premiership final will be held in just a few weeks’ time. After 80 minutes one team will progress into the knockout competition, whilst the other will leave with their hearts broken and their season over…