Match Previews
Newcastle Falcons v Leicester Tigers
Newcastle’s four match winning run in all competitions was ended with a 9-13 home loss to Gloucester on Sunday. It was also the Falcons first loss at Kingston Park since London Irish won there 23-20 in the Guinness Premiership on 11 November.
Leicester beat Worcester 28-22 at Welford Road last Friday, however on the road the Tigers have won just once in the Premiership since September: 28-25 at London Irish on 8 January.
Newcastle are winless against Leicester in the last five encounters between the two, however that sequence has included two drawn matches: 25-all at Kingston Park in April 2004 and 16-all at Welford Road on 14 October 2005. The last time the Falcons beat the Tigers was 24-22 at Kingston Park on 16 March 2003.

Leeds Tykes v Worcester Warriors
On Friday evening at Sale, Leeds were 24-16 up with just seven minutes countdown clock time remaining only to lose 24-35 after conceding three late tries. The Tykes have won back to back matches in the Guinness Premiership at Headingley Carnegie Stadium.
Worcester’s only win in their last six outings in the Premiership was 26-23 away at Bristol on 27 January. The Warriors have won three times on the road in the Premiership this season – at London Irish, Northampton and Bristol.

The five previous clashes between Leeds and Worcester in league play have all ended in a win for the home team on the day including a 22-15 Warriors win at Sixways in the Guinness Premiership on 14 October.

Gloucester Rugby v Bath Rugby
Gloucester have lost just one of their last seven games in all competitions since Boxing Day: 9-13 at home to London Irish on 28 January. Gloucester’s home record in the Guinness Premiership this season is won 6, lost 1 securing 26 league points in the process.

Bath lost 28-33 at home to London Irish on Saturday despite staging an impressive second half fightback after trailing 6-26 at the half-time break. Bath have won four of their last five matches away from home in all competitions.

Gloucester have beaten Bath only once in their last five meetings in the Premiership: 17-16 in this equivalent fixture last February. Bath won 18-16 at the Rec in the Guinness Premiership in round 5,and also 21-12 at the same venue in the Powergen Cup on 3 December.

London Irish v Northampton Saints
London Irish have won four of their last five matches in all competitions including a 33-28 victory at Bath on Saturday, tallying their first try bonus point since round 7. The Exiles are the best away side in the Guinness Premiership, but at home they have slipped to three successive defeats in the competition.

Northampton have lost just one match in all competitions since early December: 14-34 at Sale in the Premiership on Boxing Day. The Saints were impressive in beating Saracens 58-17 at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday, gaining a first try bonus point in the Premiership since a 45-13 win at Harlequins on 11 September 2004.

Northampton have an outstanding record at Madejski Stadium having won seven of the nine previous matches they have played at the venue in all competitions against all opponents. Northampton won 25-23 when they met London Irish at Franklin’s Gardens in the Guinness Premiership on 15 October.

London Wasps v Sale Sharks
London Wasps became only the 4th team to register draws in successive Premiership matches with their 9-all tie against Bristol at Memorial Stadium on Sunday. Causeway Stadium continues to be a fortress for Wasps with 18 unbeaten matches at the venue in all competitions since January 2005. Table-topping Sale have put together successive maximum point wins against Worcester and Leeds and have headed the Guinness Premiership table since round five. The Sharks haven’t lost in the premiership since a 14-22 defeat at Bristol on 27 November.

Sale have made four previous visits to High Wycombe and have won twice: 32-25 in November 2002 and 33-30 in September 2004.

Saracens v Bristol
Rugby Saracens conceded a club record 58 points in a league game for the first time in the defeat at Northampton on Saturday, and are in the midst of an unwanted run of seven successive defeats in the Guinness Premiership since they beat Newcastle 27-18 at Vicarage Road on 20 November.

Bristol are winless in their last seven games in all competitions since they beat Leicester 15-3 at Memorial Stadium on 27 December. Bristol’s only win in their last 11 away matches in all competitions was 39-23 at Viadana in the European Challenge Cup on 9 December.

The two teams have clashed on eleven previous occasions in the Premiership with Bristol victorious on just two occasions: 45-22 at Bristol in December 1999 and 28-26 at Watford in May 2002.