Guinness Premiership Run In

[stimmers]

Have to say, the debate and rugby chat on this board has got so much better now the 6 Nations has passed !

So, here's the table below and the remaining fixtures for those at the top. Who do we think will be the top four and who's going to win it. Glouc, Bath and Quins seem to have two very tricky run in games. Lots of teams playing each other at the top. Going to make it very interesting.

1 (1) Gloucester Rugby 66 Wasps (A) Bath (H)
2 (2) Bath Rugby 63 Sarries (H) Glouc (A)
3 (4) London Wasps 60 Glouc (H) Newcastle (A) Leeds (H)
4 (3) Harlequins 60 Sale (H) Tigers (A)
5 (5) Sale Sharks 59 Quins (A) Irish (H)
6 (6) Leicester Tigers 58 Newcastle (A) Quins (H)
7 (8) London Irish 50 Leeds (H) Sale (A)
8 (7) Saracens 48 Bath (a) Bristol (H)

Had a little mess around and think the final table might look like the below

1) Wasps 73
2) Glouc 71
3) Bath 68
4) Tigers 67
5) Quins 65
6) Sale 64
7) Irish 56
8) Sarries 53

Semi Final 1
Wasps vs Tigers (Tigers have a very good record away at Wasps)
Semi Final 2
Glouc vs Bath

Final
Wasps vs Glouc - Wasps to win

[ewenm]

Bath for the double.

[stimmers]

ewenm said:

Bath for the double.

Im not sure you can call the 'losers' European comp as part of a double

[ewenm]

stimmers said:

ewenm said:

Bath for the double.

Im not sure you can call the 'losers' European comp as part of a double

At least an English club has made it to a final eh?

Equally, I dislike the whole Premiership Final concept. IMO a league is a league and a cup is a cup and never the two should meet.

[stimmers]

ewenm said:

stimmers said:

ewenm said:

Bath for the double.

Im not sure you can call the 'losers' European comp as part of a double

At least an English club has made it to a final eh?

Equally, I dislike the whole Premiership Final concept. IMO a league is a league and a cup is a cup and never the two should meet.

Tigers made it to the EDF Cup final !!!!

I agree with regards to the play off's, but now the play off's are established, teams change the way they play and select teams during the season. So no longer can you say the team that comes 1st at the end of the league, is the rightful winner. Some teams really don't care if they come 1st or not, as lonmg as they get into the top 4. They hold players back for League games they would usually have played in to improve their HC chances

[BigMansZetec]

Agreed about the format, a league should be about consistency throughout a season, not finishing in the top third of a competition.

Stimmers, I reckon your table looks about right, home advantage has been fairly significant this season, so I think the top two will be the final. Wasps really are peaking at the right time.

[stimmers]

Well 3 results yesterday didn't go the way i expected and turned the whole thing on its head.

Bath 66 Sarries 21 - expected Bath to get the full 5 points, but despite a top class Bath performance. Sarries were pathetic.

Wasps 17 Glouc 25 - Didn't expect this. 2nd time this year Lamb has outplayed and out thought Cipriani im told. (why didnt sky show this game)

Quins 16 Sale 23 - thought Quins at home would win this

Newcastle 28 Tigers 25 - Tigers beaten by a poor Newcastle side sums up our season. With Sale winning too, no hope for the play off's. We need Sale not to get a point at home to Irish on the final day.

Table as it stands;

1 Gloucester 21 14 0 7 543 371 70
2 Bath 21 15 0 6 520 379 68
3 Sale 21 14 0 7 474 357 63
4 Harlequins 21 12 0 9 452 409 61
5 Wasps 20 12 2 6 522 418 60
6 Leicester 21 12 0 9 508 400 59


Oh on a side note, Quins have signed Nick Evans - what a briliant signing for the club. Top player and one of few over seas players i welcome to the prem

Edited by stimmers on Monday 5th May 11:13

[BigMansZetec]

Not suprised to see Quins slip away at the end of season, but they have done very well this season. Tigers result was a bit of a suprise yes. Saracens were amazingly awful, even Leeds would have beaten them in the first half!

So to the fixtures that matter next weekend:

Gloucester v Bath, 15:00 - Tough one to call, Gloucs to scrape it.
Leeds Carnegie v Wasps, 15:00 - Wasps with bonus point.
Leicester v Harlequins, 15:00 - Tigers.
Sale v London Irish, 15:00 - Sale to win, Irish with a bonus point.

And of course Wasps play Newcastle mid week, so four points (at least) there I would expect.

So I reckon, the table will look a bit like this on Saturday evening:

1 Gloucester 74
2 Bath 69
3 Wasps 69
4 Sale 67
5 Leicester 63
6 Quins 61

[stimmers]

Really hope Sky show the Glouc vs Bath game. Winner takes top spot, both teams bang in form and playing well, and a local Derby - what more could you want??

Think it was stupid that Sky decided on Bath vs Sarries than Wasps vs Glouc as the live game this weekend.

[Jinx]

BigMansZetec said:

Gloucester v Bath, 15:00 - Tough one to call, Gloucs to scrape it.
Leeds Carnegie v Wasps, 15:00 - Wasps with bonus point.
Leicester v Harlequins, 15:00 - Tigers.
Sale v London Irish, 15:00 - Sale to win, Irish with a bonus point.

Nope - Quins will beat Tigers by more than 7 and Irish will beat Sale with a four try bonus point

Optimistic aren't I?

[BigMansZetec]

Jinx said:

BigMansZetec said:

Gloucester v Bath, 15:00 - Tough one to call, Gloucs to scrape it.
Leeds Carnegie v Wasps, 15:00 - Wasps with bonus point.
Leicester v Harlequins, 15:00 - Tigers.
Sale v London Irish, 15:00 - Sale to win, Irish with a bonus point.

Nope - Quins will beat Tigers by more than 7 and Irish will beat Sale with a four try bonus point

Optimistic aren't I?

I know what your thinking, Irish for the top 6! Well given this season, anything is possible, and believe me I would love your predictions to come true.

[stimmers]

Jinx said:

BigMansZetec said:

Gloucester v Bath, 15:00 - Tough one to call, Gloucs to scrape it.
Leeds Carnegie v Wasps, 15:00 - Wasps with bonus point.
Leicester v Harlequins, 15:00 - Tigers.
Sale v London Irish, 15:00 - Sale to win, Irish with a bonus point.

Nope - Quins will beat Tigers by more than 7 and Irish will beat Sale with a four try bonus point

Optimistic aren't I?

So Irish Stuff Sale at Sale and Varndell scores a brilliant last min try to get Tigers into the play off's. GET IN !
Despite the low score line, Glouc vs Bath was a cracking game, i actually thought Bath were the better side by a bit, but went down by 2.

So;

Wasps vs Bath
Glouc vs Tigers

Tigers have been crap all season, but luckily got in. Honestly i think Glouc are seriously annoyed they have to play Tigers. A team who more often than not, deliver when it counts and already beaten Glouc away this season. Tigers have to put out their strongest pack and destoy Glouc in the Scrum and disrupt their Lineout - both of which are possible.

Home Advantage i think will take Wasps home.

These games could go either way and although i hate the play off's, i very excited about it. Got my ticket and will heading to Glouc.

C'MON TIGERS

[BigMansZetec]

You Tigers owe us Irish fans a beer!

Great final day of action, TV and sofa out in the garden, great afternoon. Top seven all with potential things to play for. Leeds had a good go at Wasps, Quins scared the Tigers, Irish kept up there good form too.

Amazing that Leicester went between 7th and 4th in the table during the afternoon. Must have been the best season for many many years.

As for the semi's, home wins I think, so Wasps v Gloucester final. But I wouldn't put money on anything this season.

Here's to another cracking season next year!

[stimmers]

BigMansZetec said:

You Tigers owe us Irish fans a beer!

Wasps v Gloucester final

London Irish have really come on this season and need to keep moving forward. They could become a consistant top 4 team if they continue in the right direction.

I don't think any team has ever won the GP having had an away Semi Final. Deff give Wasps and Glouc my betting money to make the final. But i have this very sneaky feeling that if Tigers can score early and go in front, we'll take the game.

Bath will have to convert their pressure into points if they stand a chance vs Wasps. All season long, Bath have failed to beat the big teams. VS glouc they should have been up by 10 at HT but couldn't convert.

[BigMansZetec]

stimmers said:

BigMansZetec said:

You Tigers owe us Irish fans a beer!

Wasps v Gloucester final

London Irish have really come on this season and need to keep moving forward. They could become a consistant top 4 team if they continue in the right direction.

I don't think any team has ever won the GP having had an away Semi Final. Deff give Wasps and Glouc my betting money to make the final. But i have this very sneaky feeling that if Tigers can score early and go in front, we'll take the game.

Bath will have to convert their pressure into points if they stand a chance vs Wasps. All season long, Bath have failed to beat the big teams. VS glouc they should have been up by 10 at HT but couldn't convert.

You can never write the Tigers off, that is true. Good luck though.