By Wellsaint
November 3 2004

Back to the Premiership this week, with all the games being played on Friday night or Saturday afternoon (so prices/handicaps should be available from bookmakers on Friday morning.) Zurich Premiership Betting Preview - Round Eight

Back to domestic action this week. Three games on Friday night, three games on Saturday, and a new home ground for Saracens.

Sale v Newcastle

Sale came through their Parker Pen tie easily and welcome an in form Newcastle side to Edgeley Park. Newcastle are continuing to win games narrowly, but I take Sale to just edge this by six points.

Leeds v Northampton

Heineken refreshes the teams other competitions cannot reach. Or something like that. Yes, it's two wins in a row for Saints, as they travel up the M1 to Headingley for a bonfire night game. Leeds lost narrowly to Grenoble last weekend, and will be looking for a home win. Leeds have lost several games narrowly at home (sound familiar?) and are at the wrong end of the table (I sense a theme developing here, am I the only one?) With confidence hopefully restored, I take Saints to win this one - but only by six points. Pass the sparklers...

Wasps v Quins

Well, it nearly happened.. but at least Quins now have an entry in the "drawn match" column (in the Heineken Cup, that is.) Can they go one better this weekend, and register an entry in the "win" column of the premiership table? Doubtful. Wasps have won both their games in the Heineken Cup (even if somewhat narrowly in Calvisano!) and are difficult to beat on their home turf. A month ago, this would have had the makings of a cricket score result. Now? I don't think Quins will be getting a bonus point this week - Wasps by twelve.

Leicester v Gloucester (live on Sky, Sat 2.45 ko)

Always one of the bigger domestic games of the season, this brings together two sides who are bang in form. Gloucester were running in tries for fun against Ulster last week, and played extremely creditably for long periods against Stade Francais in Paris, but were undone by a blitz of tries in a twenty minute period of the second half. Leicester, whilst seemingly back to something like their old selves domestically, are having a mixed Heineken campaign, beating Calvisano at home relatively easily in awful conditions, but then putting in an abject
performance in Biarritz last weekend (according to reports, there was only one training session in the week before the Biarritz game.) This is a very hard game to call - I think the winning margin may be as little as two or three points - and with home advantage, I take Leicester to just prevail. This could be one to watch rather than bet on, I feel!

Saracens v Bath (at Franklins Gardens)

Well, now here's an interesting one to call - Sarries v Bath on a neutral ground! Due to an administrative oversight (I'm feeling benevolent), Sarries were forced to find an alternative ground for this fixture. And so on Saturday, we may see the rarest of rare sights - Wellsaint at a Saracens home game (my views on the ground at Watford are well known). Sarries beat Bayonne in their Parker Pen game, whilst Bath have beaten Bourgoin (I still can't get last week's result out of my system!) and lost in Leinster in the past two weeks. I predict a close game - and take Bath to win by four. Now, where's me fez?

London Irish v Worcester

Worcester were knocked out of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup by Brive whilst London Irish won over two legs against Auch last week. It's still difficult to assess how good Worcester are - I think we will find out more over the next month of matches (at which point we will have reached the half-way point of the season.) The match will be of interest to Saints fans, as we welcome both sides to Franklins on successive weekends in November. I take London Irish to win this by eight points.