Preview: Guinness Premiership, Rd 13
The torrid weather in the United Kingdom has wreaked havoc with this weekend’s Guinness Premiership fixture list with four of the six scheduled matches having been cancelled because of safety concerns.
While the cold winter has continued to set in the Guinness Premiership itself is really starting to heat up.
Saracens, having got off to a flawless start to the campaign, have suffered back-to-back defeats and been pulled back to within touching distance for the likes of Northampton, London Irish and Leicester.
The first round of fixtures for 2010 saw just two teams, Sale and the Saints, secure victories at home while, on the road, a Jon Golding and Tane Tu’ipulotu-inspired Falcons side recorded their first ever success at Adams Park.
With only four teams in action this weekend the pressure is on all of the teams to make the most of the chance they have. Wasps, on the road to Leicester, desperately need a win to keep themselves in touch with the top four while, after their dramatic defeat at Franklin’s Gardens last weekend, the Exiles will be determined to return to winning ways against the Warriors.
Saturday, January 9:
Sale v Saracens
Edgeley Park, Stockport (13:05 GMT, 13:05 local)
Match postponed.
Bath v Northampton
Recreation Ground, Bath (14:15 GMT, 14:15 local)
Match postponed.
Harlequins v Leeds Carnegie
The Stoop, London (15:00 GMT, 15:00 local)
Match postponed.
Worcester v London Irish
Sixways, Worcester (15:00 GMT, 15:00 local)
Match postponed.
Leicester v London Wasps
Welford Road, Leicester (15:15 GMT, 15:15 local)
Always an epic encounter, the 2007/08 champions travel to face last season’s best side with both teams desperately needing points.
Neither side had a particularly fantastic start to the season but, over the busy Christmas period, got their seasons back on track.
Wasps, of course, went down to the Falcons last weekend but, in truth, were really just lacking a cutting edge – the basis for a good performance was there. Leicester meanwhile were at their clinical best last weekend at Vicarage Road.
Sarries boss Brendan Venter has had plenty to say about the match official David Rose but no one can take anything away from the Tigers – they drag victories out of unspectacular performances like few others can.
Having struggled up front against Newcastle the real test for Tony Hanks’s men this weekend will come at scrum-time and in the tight phases.
Stats: Leicester Tigers (along with Northampton) are the best team in the Guinness Premiership on current form having gained 20 league points from their last six encounters.
London Wasps were the last opposing side to win at Welford Road, doing so on 26 September 2008 in the Premiership – since then Tigers’ home record in all competitions is won 23, drawn 1. London Wasps’ four game winning run came to an end at home to Newcastle on Sunday.
Wasps only defeat in their last six away matches was 6-22 at Saracens in the Guinness Premiership on 22 November. Wasps have won their last five games against Leicester since the Tigers took the 2008 EDF Energy Cup semi-final clash at Millennium Stadium.
It took 21 years for Wasps to win their first league game at Welford Road, now the Londoners are bidding to become the first opponents to record three successive league victories at Leicester’s.
rugby365.com Prediction: Stats do not lie – Welford Road is a fortress and, while Wasps have the potential to unlock the Tigers it is not something that happens every day. Leicester by eight points.
Sunday, January 10:
Newcastle v Gloucester
Kingston Park, Newcastle (15:00 GMT, 15:00 local)
Match postponed.
