I think Leicester will win over two legs. “Leicester are a low-error team. I don’t like using the word pragmatic, but they can be very pragmatic. They don’t play a lot of rugby in their own half but they grind teams down, they’ve got a nice bit of grunt and nastiness up front which has been lacking for a few years and you’ve got guys like Ellis Genge and Jasper Wiese throwing their weight around and then you’ve got quality finishers in the back three and you’ve got guys pulling the strings – Jack van Poortvliet or Ben Youngs at nine and George Ford doing his thing at 10.
Watch Highlights: Saracens 41-39 Gloucester Having failed to cap off their Premiership return with silverware, Saracens have made an ominous start to their quest for a sixth league crown. Mark McCall's men have dispatched title contenders Harlequins and Gloucester in bonus-point victories to underline their status as the team to beat this season. Meanwhile Leicester have bounced back from a surprise defeat to Exeter Chiefs on opening weekend with wins over Newcastle and bitter local rivals Northampton Saints last time out.
Worcester's Round 4 clash with Gloucester will not take place after the Warriors were placed into administration and suspended from the Gallagher Premiership earlier this week. The financially-stricken club failed to meet Monday's 5pm deadline set by the RFU stipulating that a "credible plan" for the future had to be put in place. Administration means the Midlands club are likely to face either a points deduction or automatic relegation to the Championship.
Meanwhile Saturday's hosts London Irish will have to dust themselves down and go again after falling agonisingly short against Bristol last time out. Watch Highlights: Bristol 40-36 London Irish Having shown they are capable of striking anywhere on the pitch this season, the Exiles crossed for two tries in the final 10 minutes but failed to snatch the lead in a frantic finale at Ashton Gate. Wing duo Henry Arundell and Ollie Hassell-Collins have combined for five tries in three games this season and will be looking to add to their tallies this weekend. Two of the league's four remaining undefeated teams go toe-to-toe on Saturday afternoon as Sale Sharks take on Exeter Chiefs in a mouth-watering heavyweight showdown. Two-time champions Exeter look back to their best after enduring a topsy-turvy campaign that saw them miss out on the play-offs for the first time since 2015. Director of rugby Rob Baxter has hinted last season's underwhelming finish prompted a summer reset and the Devonians have been in ominous form so far this term.
“Ford made his way back into the England reckoning because of Owen Farrell’s injury, but Ford has arguably been as good as Marcus Smith this season so there’s not much between them. “I’ve been impressed with how Leicester have stayed in it. You wondered whether it was going to be a first-half flash this season and then things would work themselves out but that hasn’t been the case, they’ve stayed consistently in it.
Premiership Rugby Weekend - Round 4 PreviewTV and live stream information as BT Sport brings you live coverage of Saracens vs Leicester & Harlequins vs Northampton from Round 4 of the Gallagher Premiership - plus highlights of every match Published: 1 October 2022 - 11. 04am By Press Association The new Gallagher Premiership season gathers pace this weekend with a rematch to the 2021/22 final as champions Leicester Tigers visit Saracens on Saturday afternoon. Round 4 comes hot on the heels of an action-packed weekend of domestic drama, with three of the six games settled by four points or less.
Watch Highlights: Bath 20-37 Sale Sharks Successive wins over Leicester, Worcester and 2021 champions Harlequins means the Chiefs are level on points with league leaders Bristol ahead of an early-season acid test at Sale this weekend. The Sharks are hot on Exeter's heels with two wins from two and should be well rested for Saturday's encounter having sat out Round 3 on a bye. Summer signings George Ford, Jonny Hill and ex-Chief Tom O'Flaherty have all made impressive starts to life in Lancashire with Sale eyeing a first Premiership title since 2006.
On Worcester's suspension RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney added: "We have had to take this action to protect everyone's best interests. He added that the news was "incredibly difficult for fans, staff and players" and thanked them for working "tirelessly over recent weeks to enable matches to continue". Despite the threat of relegation and financial oblivion, Worcester rallied last weeked to put on a show in front of their beleaguered fans at Sixways. The Warriors put the serious doubts over their future to one side as they stormed to a deserved five-try victory over Newcastle at an emotional Sixways. London Irish vs Bath - 3pm kick-off Play-off hopefuls London Irish welcome winless Bath to the Brentford Community Stadium with both teams looking to bounce back from heavy defeats in Round 3.
“Bristol kicked quite a lot against Sarries [in the league two weeks ago], so we don’t know quite what to expect, ” said Alex Sanderson, the Sale director of rugby. “We fell off a bit of a cliff [losing in the league to Saracens] last Friday night. Then you think about the opportunity we have got now, to prove our worth. And what’s the point being in it, if you don’t think you can go all the way? ”Certainly that was the English mindset when Bath, Northampton, Leicester and Wasps won six European Cups between them from 1998 to 2007. In the 15 years since then, Saracens landed three titles for England, and Exeter – boosted by home advantage in a Covid-affected year – one in 2020. “It [the salary cap] is going to have an effect with big-name players, or mercenary-type players – there’s going to be less around, ” said Sanderson.
How to watch European Champions Cup 2022: Last 16 Leicester Tigers head to Clermont Auvergne and Sale Sharks host Bristol
Bears in the Champions Cup this weekend. EXETER, ENGLAND - MARCH
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Any hope that Bath would be turning over a new leaf under head coach Johann van Graan has been punctured by another nightmare start to the season. Watch Highlights: Bath 31-39 Wasps The West Country giants are winless from their opening three games despite showing glimmers of quality in defeat. Having trailed Wasps 31-7 at half-time last weekend, Van Graan's men showed admirable fighting spirit in front of their own fans, scoring 24 second-half points in a 39-31 defeat that leaves them one point above rock-bottom Newcastle. Next up is a trip to the capital to face Declan Kidney's Exiles as Bath look to get the Van Graan era up and running with a much-needed first win of the season.
”Borthwick’s tactical acumen was seen in Leicester’s win away to Bordeaux in this season’s pool stage. Accurate kicking by George Ford, and the defence and attitude engendered by assistant coach Kevin Sinfield – the rugby league legend describes playing to the final whistle as the “apex of pain” – did the trick. “I haven’t experienced France a lot, and I think Clermont is the best one to pick, as almost a bear-pit, ” said Leicester centre Dan Kelly. “We’ll see if we can handle it. ” Champions Cup last-16 fixtures on TV Kick-off time and TV/live stream details in UK Friday 8 April Connacht vs Leinster – 8pm – BT Sport 1 Saturday 9 April Bordeaux vs La Rochelle – 1pm – BT Sport ESPNSale Sharks vs Bristol Bears – 1pm – BT Sport 3 and Channel 4Toulouse vs Ulster – 3. 15pm – BT Sport 3Exeter Chiefs vs Munster – 5.
Watch Highlights: Northampton 21-41 Leicester The Tigers produced a performance of champions to cruise past near neighbours Northampton in the 250th East Midlands derby. Returning England hero Freddie Steward crossed for his hat-trick as visitors Leicester plundered six tries in a 41-21 win at Franklin's Gardens. Tigers have won just one of their previous nine visits to the StoneX and victory on Saturday would be their first since 2018.
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How to watch Champions Cup rugby – round 4: TV channel Toulouse vs Cardiff and Leicester vs Bordeaux have both been called off due
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