A brief look ahead to Round 13 of the Premiership

Bristol Bears vs Sale Sharks: 

Round 13 of the Premiership will commence with Bristol Bears taking on Sale Sharks at Ashton Gate. It is do-or-die for Bristol who need to start banking points if they are to have any real say in this campaign. They face a tough assignment this weekend against a Sale outfit who will not lie down in the face of the challenge. 

Bristol are currently second-last on the log while Sale occupy 8th. 

Round 12 saw Bristol fall to Exeter 19-13 while Sale tasted victory against Wasps, 26-18. 

Harlequins vs Exeter Chiefs: 

Defending champs Quins will receive the challenge of Exeter Chiefs at the Stoop in a game which promises to bring delight to the viewers. Both sides enjoyed victory in the previous round – over Gloucester and Bristol respectively.  

Chiefs trail Quins by 6 points on the log with the former on 32 and the latter on 38. 

Quins are currently enjoying a spot in the top four while the Chiefs are knocking on the door of that coveted contingent and will thus be hoping that Gloucester fall to Saracens this weekend. 

Newcastle vs Northampton: 

The Saints go marching in to Kingston Park this weekend to face the spirited Newcastle Falcons.  

Both teams took a pasting last weekend, Saints falling to Saracens, 30-6, and Newcastle to Leicester Tigers, 31-0. 

Saints enjoy a fairly healthy 6-point lead over the Falcons on the overall standings, the former in fifth spot and the former in seventh.  

Saracens vs Gloucester: 

A top 4 clash as the Cherry & Whites travel to StoneX Stadium in the hope of creeping closer to their London rivals on the log. 

Saracens will be full of confidence after last round’s heavy defeat of Northampton, while Gloucester will be hoping to pull themselves right again after a narrow loss to Quins. 

Gloucester boss George Skivington said: 

“Their [Saracens] record speaks for itself. It’s a tough place to go but we’re incredibly excited for the challenge that presents itself. We know all about them but for us it’s all about focusing on our development and our learning. We want to get better and better and Saracens away is another test of where we are halfway through the season. 

“We know what they bring and we know what their strengths are. They’re a good team. We aspire to be where they are and where they’ve put their foundations in over the last 10 years. The boys have worked incredibly hard and are excited for the challenge that presents itself.” 

Bath vs Worcester Warriors: 

Bath are expected to pull out all the stops against Worcester this weekend as they look to end a disastrous run of losses. 

Both sides will be fresh as Worcester enjoyed a bye last week while Bath’s fixture against London Irish was called off. 

The last time they were in action, Bath found themselves twenty 20 adrift of Gloucester at the final whistle while Worcester were thrashed 61-29 against Saracens. 

Wasps vs Leicester: 

Lee Blackett’s men have their work cut out for them this weekend as they face competition giants and log-leaders Leicester Tigers. Luckily for Wasps, they will enjoy home-ground advantage, although it may not go a long way against a team which has proved themselves to be hugely impressive this season. 

Wasps were unable to get the better of Sale Sharks last weekend while Leicester brushed Newcastle aside convincingly.  

Based on current form, it would be something of an upset if Wasps managed to stick one on Leicester, however, fans can still expect a decent contest.