Gallagher Premiership Round 2 Predictions!
It was a great opening win for Bristol last week, albeit an incorrect prediction for me on Superbru. I was one of the 81% that picked Bath, but I did manage all the other results, and hopefully this weekend will yield a GSP for a full house of picks.
Here are my Gallagher Premiership predictions for Round 2.
Northampton v Harlequins Having not seen the game at the Stoop, I can't tell how well Quins played compared to how badly Sale performed, but this will be a big test for them. This fixture is usually won by the home side, and Quins haven't won at Franklin's Gardens since 2012, so whilst a victory this weekend could set them on course for a strong season, I also think it's unlikely. Northampton by 4
Wasps v Exeter Wasps were fortunate to avoid defeat at Sixways last weekend, whilst the Chiefs annihilated the Tigers to precipitate Matt O'Connor's departure after just one match of the season. Not many teams win at the Ricoh though, so I'm in two minds - my first instinct was to pick Exeter, so let's go with that. Exeter by 2
Leicester v Newcastle The Tigers are in turmoil having sacked their coach already, and they looked under-prepared for the season, out of shape and struggling against the Chiefs last weekend. The Falcons were last year's surprise package, and Dean Richards will have prepared his team for the season much more effectively, and may just relish returning to his old club to land another blow. Newcastle by 6
Saracens v Bristol A great win for the Bears over Bath last weekend, and I'd love to see them stay up, but we must remember that London Irish also won their first match last year. Playing away at Saracens will be a different story, and it's surely beyond the newly-promoted side to beat the Champions at their own ground. Saracens by 23
Bath v Gloucester Two West Country derbies in a row for Bath, and this one has added importance after their defeat in Bristol last weekend. The pressure is already on for their first home game of the season, and fans at the Rec wouldn't be able to stomach being beaten by rivals Gloucester. The away side had a good win over Northampton last weekend, and confidence will be high, but their recent record against Bath is poor - just one victory in the last five, and two in the last 11, so I'm tipping a home win here. Bath by 7
Sale v Worcester It's early days, but these two teams are likely to feature in the bottom half of the table, and this match is already important. Sale have won 10 of the last 11 matches against Worcester, and have a strong home record, so this should be a win for the home team. Sale by 9
What do you think of these predictions?
Here are my Gallagher Premiership predictions for Round 2.
Northampton v Harlequins Having not seen the game at the Stoop, I can't tell how well Quins played compared to how badly Sale performed, but this will be a big test for them. This fixture is usually won by the home side, and Quins haven't won at Franklin's Gardens since 2012, so whilst a victory this weekend could set them on course for a strong season, I also think it's unlikely. Northampton by 4
Wasps v Exeter Wasps were fortunate to avoid defeat at Sixways last weekend, whilst the Chiefs annihilated the Tigers to precipitate Matt O'Connor's departure after just one match of the season. Not many teams win at the Ricoh though, so I'm in two minds - my first instinct was to pick Exeter, so let's go with that. Exeter by 2
Leicester v Newcastle The Tigers are in turmoil having sacked their coach already, and they looked under-prepared for the season, out of shape and struggling against the Chiefs last weekend. The Falcons were last year's surprise package, and Dean Richards will have prepared his team for the season much more effectively, and may just relish returning to his old club to land another blow. Newcastle by 6
Saracens v Bristol A great win for the Bears over Bath last weekend, and I'd love to see them stay up, but we must remember that London Irish also won their first match last year. Playing away at Saracens will be a different story, and it's surely beyond the newly-promoted side to beat the Champions at their own ground. Saracens by 23
Bath v Gloucester Two West Country derbies in a row for Bath, and this one has added importance after their defeat in Bristol last weekend. The pressure is already on for their first home game of the season, and fans at the Rec wouldn't be able to stomach being beaten by rivals Gloucester. The away side had a good win over Northampton last weekend, and confidence will be high, but their recent record against Bath is poor - just one victory in the last five, and two in the last 11, so I'm tipping a home win here. Bath by 7
Sale v Worcester It's early days, but these two teams are likely to feature in the bottom half of the table, and this match is already important. Sale have won 10 of the last 11 matches against Worcester, and have a strong home record, so this should be a win for the home team. Sale by 9
What do you think of these predictions?
