Last week Rafters did a less than stellar job in predicting the results of round nineteen of the Gallagher Premiership, especially blowing the sixty-two to eight walloping the Bears inflicted on the Saints.
The match not only sent shockwaves through the Premiership it also shattered our crystal rugbyball. We clearly dropped one too many eyes of newt into the oval cauldron when we mixed the prognostication potion.
Such a calamity was enough to entice Rafters to employ the ancient Mesopotamia art of Hieromancy to provide insight into any outliers that might be a factor in round twenty.
Upon close inspection of a sliver of cow liver (we’re on a limited budget here), Rafters drifted into a stupor, it might have been the ale, and the omens came forth.
The omens were many and telling, and warned us not to continue lest we make restless the spirit of William Webb Ellis with a second week of epic gaffs.
Undaunted, Rafters moves forward in hopes of perfecting our Premiership prognostications.
What the Omens say
Friday, March 10, 2023
Northampton Saints hosts Bath Rugby
Poor Bath. Rafters is pretty sure we began our round nineteen prediction with the same phrasing. Bath is going into Franklin's Gardens to face a team that was basically humiliated by Bristol, and it’s highly unlikely that the Saints spent the week curled up in a little ball in the back of their changing room.
Rafters can only imagine how ticked off the Saint’s were this week, and there is no doubt they will take their anger out on Bath. Adrenaline alone won’t be enough for the Saints to roll over Bath.
Bath’s not going to give Northampton the win, but bath is a team that despite plenty of talent just can’t seem to remain consistent from one week to the next, and they will need to take their best game into Northampton if they are to keep it close.
Rafters is hesitant to say a reverse of last week’s score is likely, but we’re going with the Saints’ bonus point win.
Saturday, March 11, 2023
Exeter Chiefs host Newcastle Falcons
The Chiefs are another team that got it handed to them last week, but like Bath, the Falcons haven’t been exactly consistent throughout the season. Newcastle is coming off a pretty hefty defeat at the hands of London Irish.
On paper it looks as though the Chiefs are the better team, but Rafters is going to engage in some wishful thinking and give the home-pitch advantage to the Falcons. Newcastle by two in a low scoring match.
Sunday, March 12, 2033
Gloucester Rugby host Leicester Tigers
As part of the Quins faithful, Rafters would like to see Gloucester hold the Tigers points total at forty three by handing them a loss or even better drawing with them, but in the one-hundred and seventy-two games played this season (not counting games including Wasps and Warriors) only one of them has resulted in a draw, but Rafters can dream.
Despite our hopes for the ever elusive draw, Rafters is picking Tigers over Gloucester by seven.
London Irish host Sale Sharks
This would be the game to see if both were manned with a complete lineup of starters.
Advantage to Irish being lucky enough to be facing the Sharks at Brentford while several of Sale’s starters are out for the Internationals. The Exiles are one position out of a playoff berth and only two points behind Northampton who Rafters has predicted to win at Bath on Friday night.
A loss at Brentford really won’t matter much to Sale. Only some kind of colossal self destruction on the part of both the Saracens or the Sharks will prevent them from hosting a quarter final in May.
Taking the top slot on the table does little more than gives them bragging rights. Regardless of their position, one or two, Sale will play one of the two teams that rotate into the final two slots in round 24 non of whom have a record better than five hundred at the beginning of round twenty.
Irish will need to work hard for it but take the win at home.
Bristol Bears host Harlequins
Both Harlequins and Bears are coming off big wins last week and to borrow a cliché that has surely been beaten to death, freeze-dried, and rehydrated the Bristol Bears have come out of hibernation, winning three of their last four. The loss coming by one point at Saracens.
It’s difficult to know if the resurgent Bears are the result of the depleted teams who have lost starters to the Six Nations or if they are finally getting their kit together. It is possible for both things to be true at the same time, and Rafters believes this to be the case.
Last week, the Quins emerged from their own form of hibernation, by winning their first match since the end of last year. And they won it big by stomping the Chiefs.
The win this Sunday might come down to the team who can best handle the post adrenaline rush of a huge victory, but the Quins will have two other things going against them.
First, the Quins are playing for their playoff lives. With twenty five points left to them on the table, playoff positions three and four are still up for grabs, but the Quins are running out of chances, and they’re going to have to play the remainder of their season in Playoff mode. To sustain that level of intensity over the course of five games will be tough enough let alone keeping it going through a semifinal and into the Final.
Secondly, Harlequins will be on the road without the energizing play of Marcus Smith. Let’s face it, there is a reason Steve Borthwick benched Owen Ferral in favor of starting Smith at fly half against France.
As much as Rafters is a homer for the Quins, we believe these two factors will be too much for Quins to overcome and Bears win but sans bonus point.
Afters
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Fine Print
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