England’s Gallagher PREM Rugby returns following two weeks of competition in the Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup.
Reigning champions Bath lead the way, with Exeter Chiefs and Northampton Saints their nearest pursuers. Down the bottom, Newcastle Red Bulls remain eight points adrift of Gloucester.
But what affect will the results in the Champions and Challenge Cups have on league form? Not every team’s form matched that off the PREM. Some who were winning lost, and other who couldn’t buy a victory suddenly know the taste of success.
Here is what ATR thinks you should keep a look out for this weekend.
Leicester Tigers v Gloucester – Friday 19.45 (all times local)
It wasn’t a great Champions Cup for either team. Leicester started with a loss away to La Rochelle and then slumped to defeat at home to Leinster. Gloucester at least beat Castres at home, but they were poor against Munster.
Leicester will want to re-establish Mattioli Woods Welford Road as a fortress, especially after their humbling loss to Leinster in the Champions Cup a week ago. Jamie Blamire has started to impose himself at hooker and is making the Tigers forget about Julian Montoya’s departure. Tigers hookers have always set the tone, and he will need the returning experienced players to follow his lead.
Gloucester need to shake off their defeat in Cork if they aren’t to undo their good work from the two previous weekends, which featured their first league win of the season, over Harlequins, and then that victory over Castres. Ben Renshaw has been garnering attention with his performances at fullback, and it will be indicative how he copes in what could be tricky conditions in the East Midlands evening.
Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks – Saturday 15.00
Last year’s Champions Cup runners-up showed that they had learned the lessons of their run last season and played strong teams to ensure they top Pool 4 with two wins from two.
Flyhalf Fin Smith has shown his best form, as the Saints beat Pau away and then The Bulls at home. He has quickly put his disappointment of only playing one of England’s November internationals behind him to show why he is considered George Ford’s successor in waiting.
Which makes it a shame that Ford is likely to sit this one out after what has been described as a minor injury, especially as Alex Sanderson’s team had the surprise bonus of a win away to Clermont Auvergne after they lost to Glasgow Warriors in Round 1. It hasn’t been a vintage season for Sale, and if things go to form, they will need to wait at least another week before they start to turn the ship around.
Saracens v Exeter Chiefs – Saturday 15.00
These two are part of the chasing pack aiming to keep up with the leaders, which means that whoever triumphs will have dragged the other further away from the top spots. After their showings in the Champions and Challenge Cups, they will be confident of taking something from their meeting in north London.
Saracens won at home to Clermont Auvergne and then claimed a losing bonus point to The Sharks in Durban. Exeter Chiefs matched Saracens with a strong team for their home win over the Cheetahs, and a weaker side on the road. It worked well, with a five-point win over the Cheetahs at Sandy Park and a draw and a four-point bonus point away to Racing 92.
With Jamie George still out, Saracens will need another strong showing from hooker Theo Dan. He led a raw side against the Sharks well, and scored a try, but then showed his other side with a yellow card.
Exeter have really clicked in midfield with Harvey Skinner bringing out the best in Ken Ikitau and Henry Slade, while Charlie Chapman has emerged as a rival scrumhalf to Stephen Varney. It’s the type of stimulus that keeps performances high.
Harlequins v Bristol Bears – Saturday 18.00
The quirks of the fixture computer mean that this season, Harlequins Big Game at Allianz Stadium takes place before rather than after Christmas. Even so expect a full house, pre-match spectacular, and a noisy crowd as the PREM’s two most freewheeling teams go head to head.
Harlequins had looked off the pace at the end of November, when they went down to Gloucester, but the Champions Cup has reinvigorated them. First came a battling performance away to Leinster. Yes, they lost, but their attitude and determination hasn’t always appeared to be there this season. Then came 10 tries in the 68-14 win at home to Bayonne with scrumhalf Will Porter taking the attention away from his halfback partner Marcus Smith for once, with an eye-catching display and two tries.
Bristol backed up their one-point win away to Scarlets in Round 1 with a similar results as Harlequins in Round 2. They too hosted a travel sick French side and ran in nine tries in the 61-12 win. Tom Jordan looked comfortable at flyhalf, and the Grondona brothers – Santiago and Benjamin each grabbed a try. All of a sudden, their squad starts to strike you as pretty deep.
Newcastle Red Bulls v Bath – Sunday 15.00
What a difference a fortnight makes. Last time we met them Bath sat at the highest point in the table, and Newcastle sat in the lowest, just as they did at the end of last season.
Since then though the Red Bulls have started to growl. First came victory on the road to Lyon, then they followed up with a win at home against the Lions. The latter was well-earned, and the way they did so with a late, late try from barrelling Scottish prop Murray McCallum, spoke volumes about their team spirit.
Bath, though were dusted up away to Toulon, a week after they worked over Munster at the Rec. They had little response to the French side’s monster pack, with Kyle Sinkler leading the way and ably supported by the monstrous second row Brian Alainu'uese. It showed a way where they could be hauled in, but do Newcastle have the pack to match that showing?