Premiership run-in: Saints and Bath will impact top four
Look at the Premiership table and you’ll see that the top team and Challenge Cup finalists Bath are 15 points clear of second-placed Leicester Tigers, and Champions Cup finalists Northampton Saints are 17 points safe from dropping out of the top eight.
And with just three games remaining for each team, and a maximum of 15 points on offer, it is unlikely either of those scenarios will change. But the run-in will have less of an impact on them and more of one on the teams around them.
Bath enter the home straight on Saturday with a huge match against Bristol Bears in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium before hosting Leicester and travelling to Saracens – all of whom are in the mix for the top four.
For Northampton, their run-in includes struggling Exeter Chiefs and top four-chasing Saracens and Gloucester.
But with the two sides looking towards European finals – Bath on 23 May and Northampton one day later – how they rest, rotate and play their final two rounds before their showpiece matches, and the one after their trophy lift (or not), will shape how the other teams’ top four hopes pan out.
Premiership outcome
For example, Northampton could go hard against Exeter and then rotate for their match against Saracens before the final. And whether they win or lose the Champions Cup final, they will probably rest against Gloucester in the final week.
Likewise, Bath will want to ensure they’re firing before their Challenge Cup showdown against Lyon and that could impact the teams around them who are trying to reach the semi-finals.
For the rest of the pack, Friday’s clash between Leicester and Sale Sharks is a huge start to the last three rounds of Premiership action.
At points this season both teams looked like they could have been down and out but they’ve battled their way into the mix and there’s no way you can write them off.
There’s only seven points between second and sixth so a home-semi final is still within reach.
But the successes of Bath and Northampton in Europe could impact the rest of the league, for better or worse.
TV drama
I cannot say I am too surprised to read that England Rugby could be facing a TV blackout for their Test match against the USA this summer.
The team’s two Tests against Argentina will be on Sky Sports but the broadcaster – as well as Premier Sports and TNT Sports – will not be bidding for the USA match.
It means RugbyPass is likely to show the match on its platform. On one hand this is great news because it means international rugby can reach a large audience – in theory.
But on the other hand it is a sign that European interest in the USA and its rugby project just isn’t quite there yet.
That could prove a pretty worrying omen for the Rugby World Cup, which is set to take place in North America in 2031.
Former England Sevens captain Ollie Phillips is the founder of Optimist Performance. Follow Ollie @OlliePhillips11