From the Touchlines: Premiership play-off predictions

On Sunday, the four leading sides in English rugby will battle it out for a place in the Guinness Premiership final at Twickenham and, in our eyes, there are two stand-out candidates to make that final.

Gloucester take on Leicester at Kingsholm and, while they might end up being without their international midfield of Mike Tindall and Anthony Allen (depending on late fitness tests), they just have too much in the tank for Marcelo Loffreda's stop-start Tigers. The Tigers may well have a monumental threat in flyer Tom Varndell, the Premiership's top try scorer this season, but the Cherry and Whites have runners aplenty not to mention one of the best-drilled packs in the Premiership. So for all Leicester's past dominance, expect Gloucester to blow them away.

The other semi-final looks likely to be a closer affair between Wasps and Bath. Had Bath managed to get home advantage, then they would have been our pick to earn a final berth but they travel to Wasps' home ground for the game and, if there's one thing about Wasps, they don't often lose at home. Also, the Londoners will be doing their utmost to give No.8 Lawrence Dallaglio the perfect send-off and not even the combined guile of Butch James and Olly Barkley looks likely to unlock Wasps' inspired defence.

So, we're going for a Gloucester-Wasps final, with Gloucester winning their semi-final 26-12 and Wasps running out 19-16 winners in the other semi.

What do you make of our predictions? Have we got it all wrong? We want to hear your views below...

Comments

[Mikey]

expect Tigers to be blown away? Interesting concept but clearly biased