Rafters has never claimed to be impartial in its view of the Gallagher Rugby Premiership or internationals for that matter. We have our favorites, Harlequins and Irish.
Throw in England because, well let’s face it, the USA Eagles are completely out gunned by England as well as all of the other first and second tier national teams. Its more fun to cheer for a team that at least has a shot at winning, something.
Rafters freely admits soaring with all the partisans through the Hackusphere.
With that in mind, here are our predictions and preferences for round nineteen of the Gallagher Rugby Premiership.
Round Nineteen
Friday, March 3, 2023
Bristol Bears host Northampton Saints (Ashton Gate)
Bristol is much improved in the past few weeks and moved off the bottom of the table, but Northampton is a powerful side. A Bears win would at lease give our beloved Quins a shot at moving up in the table, but even at home, Bristol is unlikely to defeat a Northampton side that will finish the season third and play a semifinal at Sale. Northampton bonus point win under the lights.
Saturday, March 4, 2023
Leicester Tigers hosts Bath Rugby (Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium)
Poor Bath. As much as Rafters would like to see this team improve, they just can’t seem to maintain consistency. A surprise win here would also be a boost to the Quins shot at the number four slot, but this is highly unlikely.
The Tigers have ben playing well enough to take the win over a disappointing Bath team. Tigers with a bonus point win.
Harlequins host Exeter Chiefs. (Twickenham Stadium)
What a difference two months makes. At the end of December, the Harlequins were poised to move in to second place on the table with a win over last place Bristol at the Stoop. Five straight losses later, the Harlequins sit at eighth on the table, one place ahead of the Bears who have won two of there last four and nearly defeated a depleted Saracens roster.
The high margin losses by Harlequins began long before three of their starters were called to England’s training camp, so that appears to have played only a small part of the Quins free fall down the table.
This weekend the Quins will face Exeter in Big Game 14 at Twickenham Stadium. Exeter stands at fifth on the table and four points ahead of Quins, so there is much to play for. On paper at least, the Quins still have a shot at the top four.
With Marcus Smith released from his duties with England, he will be starting for Quins on Saturday, and Rafters believes he will be the difference maker for the Quins.
Though Rafters is hesitant to predict a Harlequins victory in what we expect to be a high scoring match, but Quins win their first since December and move past Exeter in the standings.
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Newcastle Falcons hosts London Irish (Kingston Park)
Ordinarily, Rafters would be cheering for an Irish win on Sunday, but with the Quins two points behind them in the standings, we’ve kept our priorities straight and will cheer for the Falcons.
Neither team has been deeply effected by draws to the Six Nations. Ordinarily, advantage to Newcastle at home, but their play has been inconsistent, and Irish is a team on the rise and there eyes set on fourth place and a playoff berth. the Irish’s free-style offense runs up the score with a bonus point.
Sale Sharks host Saracens (Salford City Stadium)
Ordinarily this would have been the biggest match of round nineteen and a great preview of the Premiership Championship in May. But both teams are facing off without all of their starters, so from a fan’s perspective this game is really a nothing burger.
Rafters was disappointed to see this match scheduled during the Six Nations tournament even after the midseason fixture shuffle following the demise of Wasps and Warriors. The game of rugby would have been better served if fans could have seen how these high caliber sides matchup with all their starters.
Given that, the Saracens have all but locked up the number one spot, and Sale will secure number two.
For the most part the Saracens continue to win with the bench, but the games have been closer than most fans would have preferred, a one point win over Bristol and a late rally to beat Northampton.
Both Saracens and Sale have depth in their benches, and Rafters expects a competitive match, but nothing like what we’ll see in May. Sale wins at home and Saracens go home with a losing bonus point.
That’s this little corner of the big picture and one fan’s view from beyond the rafters.
Afters
If you are interested in watching the Six Nations and Premiership Rugby in the United States (live or replays), you can stream all the matches on Peacock. Xfinity includes Peacock with some cable subscriptions.
Flo Rugby offers replays of the Autumn Internationals, USA Rugby, the Rugby Championships, and Super Rugby.
The Rugby Network broadcasts the MLR for no charge,
Fine Print
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