- Wins predicted for Wasps, Sale and Bristol
- Play-off heartache for Bath
While Exeter Chiefs sit proudly at the top of the Gallagher Premiership by a clear eight points from Wasps, their final day opponents on Sunday, the race for the remaining play-off spots has gone right down to the wire.
Four teams – Wasps, Bath, Sale and Bristol – are battling it out for the remaining places, meaning one very good team will fall short.
Just two points separate the quartet and with all of Sunday’s games kicking off at the same time, 3pm, it could be an afternoon of fluctuating emotions for the fans of the respective clubs.
Who’s going to miss out?
Other than being caught cold by Sale Sharks at home, Wasps have been bang in form and should account for a shadow Chiefs side. Any form of win would guarantee them their place in the end-of-season play-offs irrespective of results elsewhere.
Sale welcome Worcester Warriors to the AJ Bell Stadium, and while the newly-crowned Premiership Cup champions have lost the services of key performers like Lood de Jager and Manu Tuilagi to injury, they should have no problems getting all five points.
Which leaves Bath and Bristol.
Both teams have been scoring points for fun since the restart in the middle of August and will feel hard done by if they cannot get over the line.
Irish away is perhaps not the ‘gimme’ that many Bristol fans will think it is, especially after the Exiles recorded a morale-boosting win down at Exeter, albeit against a weakened Chiefs outfit.
The smart money, however, would be on Pat Lam’s side to make it into the top four at their West Country rivals’ expense.
Bath have to travel to Saracens who will be determined to give long-serving captain Brad Barritt the send-off he deserves.
For many Saracens players, not just Barritt, this is the end of a long era of success in black and Bath will have to play very well to get the win they need and ruin the farewell party.
Our predicted top 4 after Sunday’s matches
1 Exeter 75pts
2 Wasps 71pts
3 Sale 69pts
4 Bristol 68pts
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5 Bath 66pts
With Wasps potentially avoiding Exeter and facing Sale Sharks at home instead, in the semi-finals, the 6/1 about Lee Blackett’s side winning the Premiership title looks decent value.
But, understandably, Exeter Chiefs are worthy odds-on favourites at 8/13.
