The Gallagher Premiership play-offs are comprised of 2 knock-out semifinals, followed by the all-important grand final, held at England’s “home of rugby”, Twickenham Stadium. To qualify for the semifinals, and to stand even a chance of winning the final and being crowned Premiership champions on Saturday 18 June, teams must finish in the league's top-4. Going into the final weekend of April, league leaders Leicester Tigers and second-placed Saracens were already mathematically certain of finishing inside the top-4. Following their emphatic 56-26 win over Bristol Bears on Saturday 30 April, Tigers went one further, securing a spot in the top-2 of the league, giving themselves home advantage in their semifinal match.
Although the play-off picture is starting to take shape, there are still some parts that need colouring-in. Fans of Harlequins and Northampton Saints – 3rd and 4th in the league respectively – will be hoping their sides can get the broad strokes right; if these sides win just 1 of their remaining 2 matches, they could secure their top-4 spot without having to worry about what other teams achieve. Meanwhile, some teams will be painting by numbers: fans of Gloucester, Exeter Chiefs, and even Sale Sharks – 5th, 6th, and 7th respectively - will be doing the maths until the final minutes of the season, hoping that the teams above them drop points, and they can sneak in with a bonus point win or a greater number of match wins – or maybe even a higher points difference. With so much to play for, and so many teams still in with a chance, every match still matters. So, where can you watch the top-4 contenders in action?
Last season’s champions Harlequins, currently in 3rd place on 74 points, will play at home against Gloucester on Saturday 21 May, in their “Big Summer Kick-Off" fixture at Twickenham Stadium. That will be followed by an away tie against Exeter Chiefs, on the final day of the season, Saturday 4 June. Quins might be going into the final 2 rounds sitting relatively pretty, but both of their opponents sit inside the top-6, so qualification won’t be a formality. Adult tickets for their match against Gloucester start at £29.50, whilst tickets for the tie at Sandy Park start at £35 for an adult.
Northampton Saints also have a couple of big matches in store. After playing away at Saracens on Saturday 21 May, they will host a Newcastle Falcons side which is looking to avoid the ignominy of finishing at the bottom of the Premiership, on the final day of the season. Adult tickets start at £30 at the Sarries match, and £17.50 for the visit of Newcastle – although prices for this fixture are expected to rise closer to the match.
Gloucester, in 5th as it stands, will follow-up their tough away fixture against Quins with a difficult home clash against Saracens, on the final day of the season. Tickets are not yet available for this season-ending showdown, so be sure to add the fixture to your Koobit interests, to be notified when they go on sale. Exeter Chiefs, a few points behind the Cherry and Whites in 6th, will certainly need results elsewhere to go their way, but if they can pick up a win away at West Country rivals Bristol Bears on Friday 20 May, and then beat Quins on the final day, they might just have a chance. Tickets for their match at Bristol start at £35 for an adult. Meanwhile Sale Sharks, although outsiders for a top-4 finish, will be holding out hope until the final seconds of the season. They travel to Coventry to play Wasps on Friday 20 May, and then host Bristol Bears on the final day. Adult tickets start at £21 for the Wasps fixture, and £28 for the home match against Bristol.
For more information on the Gallagher Premiership Final, including ticket prices, click here.