AP Round 18 Preview

So with the 6N's out the way England fans can get back to their staple diet of Aviva rugby this weekend. In case anyone's forgotten there are now only 5 rounds left to go before the play offs and still a whole host of teams could mathematically sneak in to the precious top 4.

Here's how the table looks going in to round 18:

Harlequins 17 13 1 3 58
Saracens 17 12 1 4 54
Leicester Tigers 17 10 1 6 50
Northampton Saints 17 10 0 7 47
Exeter Chiefs 17 9 0 8 45
Gloucester Rugby 17 8 1 8 41
Sale Sharks 17 8 0 9 40
Bath Rugby 17 8 0 9 39
London Irish 17 6 1 10 36
Worcester Warriors 17 6 1 10 31
London Wasps 17 5 0 12 27
Newcastle Falcons 17 3 2 12 19

Friday 23rd March
Sale Sharks v Saracens, Edgeley Park, Stockport
Sale have slowly lost form over the last few premiership rounds and what was looking like a golden chance for knock out rugby now appears to have changed to a battle for top 6 and Heineken cup competition next season. Off the back of that they will be looking to lay down a marker this Friday night as they host current prem champions Saracens at Edgeley. Saracens have enjoyed mixed results while the internationals were away, suffering three defeats but looking like they may have got things back on track with a typically gritty win over other title hopefuls Northampton in round 17. This Friday Sale will need to use all of their young backlines speed and fearless counter attacking skills as Saracens will not be giving them an inch in the tight, where they should comfortably enjoy the upper hand. I have a feeling Saracens will make this needlessly difficult for themselves though by kicking too much ball away and giving Sale a lot of attacking chances. Saracens by 10.

Worcester Warriors v Newcastle Falcons, Sixways, Worcester
The other game of Friday night sees Falcons travel down to Sixways in a match that they have to win to keep in sight of Wasps. Unfortunately for them Worcester welcome Falcons after a run of games that's seen them beat the likes of Glos and Saracens at home. Expect an old fashioned bun fight in this one as Worcester will look to keep the home fans happy with a win using all of their packs power and grit, Falcons will be looking for a win any which way and will be happy to keep it to a kicking duel banking on fly half Gopperth to get the job done for them. Looking at Worcester games at home against teams that have tried to bludgeon them you have to bank on their pack seeing them right, Newcastle just don't have the men to create point scoring chances at the moment and Wuss no one more win should see them clear or the trap door. Worcester by 4.

Saturday 24th March
Harlequins v Bath Rugby, The Stoop, London
With the battle for top spot getting tighter and tighter Harlequins will be demanding a win over Bath who travel up to them on Saturday. Quins have lost their way since the new year, you have to wonder just how much that winning streak has left in the engines and with international call ups they've looked vulnerable for the first time this season. Bath have had some bipolar form over the last few weeks, with big wins in the Prem followed by a humbling from the Tigers youth side. If Harlequins can keep the steely grit we've seen in their pack show since Dec and mix that with the try scoring game they stunned teams with last year then they should be odds on for a win at home, but if bath can get the ball through the hands, and manage to finish, then expect a high try scoring affair. Quins by 7

Gloucester Rugby v Exeter Chiefs, Kingsholm, Gloucester
Gloucester still have hopes of making the top four, and a bp win over Exeter could see them leapfrog the Chiefs in to fifth place and relative safety from the chasing pack. Exeter will know that a win away at Kingsholm will see them almost safely home in the top six and they could even manage to sneak in to the top four. Kingsholm is a tough place to travel to though and with winter receding the elements may well favour Gloucester's bp ambitions. The Cherry and Whites youngsters will want to make amends for their wet weather schooling against the Tigers and will be looking for a clinical lesson of their own in try scoring. Exeter on the other hand know that they can bully the home team up front and through that could grind out a win. Gloucester by 18 our first bp of the weekend.

Northampton Saints v London Wasps, Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
In our second bp match of the weekend an injury plagued Wasps team have to travel to Northampton. The Saints will be looking to get people back to talking about their rugby rather then their discipline and I think we can expect a very clean demonstration of power in the forwards. If Wasps can't manage to get any parity up front against Northampton then a demolition could be on the cards. For what it's worth Wasps have won a few games against the odds so far and a combination of dogged defence and fluent counter attacking could see them clear. Saints by 10 and a bp.

Sunday 25th March
London Irish v Leicester Tigers, Madejski Stadium, Reading
London Irish are another team that's lost it's mojo somewhere along the way. With a fair few players set to depart and a struggling game plan on the field Leicester will be fancying their chances. The Tigers will be further buoyed by their youth team picking up the first silverware of the season last weekend and will be aiming to keep the wins coming. Having seen the Leicester forward displays over the last two weeks it will be impressive if the Exiles can compete and contain them, if they can then the strike runners in the backs should be able to make a lot of yardage in the flimsy Leicester defensive line. If Leicester get on top then this coud turn out to be the third bp match of the weekend, potentally seeing bp's going to both teams as well. Leicester by 6 try bp's all round.

Bit late due to work actually expecting me to...work. But here's the latest AP preview.

I've fixed a handful of typos, will get it published on the journal tonight, though I will struggle to get it done before kick-off

Nice work.