There are eight possible teams who could make the cut
Premiership Rugby predictions are in but it is a tough one to call. The league has seen its tightest competition for quite a few seasons. Eight clubs are currently able to make the top four.
There are only two rounds of the Premiership left. Each round has some tasty matches with it hard to see who will come out on top.
Related: George Ford on run-in
If the clubs placed fifth to eighth have a shot of making the top four then the current clubs in the top places will have to drop points. There are some significant fixtures to see a swing in positions.
This weekend if Newcastle can register their first win of the season and beat Bath it would land a huge blow in the south west’s top four hopes. Likewise with Gloucester facing top of the table Northampton Saints.
And in the final round of fixtures the most anticipated match will be between Saints and Bath.
Who will play who? Here are the final two rounds of fixtures:
Round 17
Fri 10 May Newcastle v Bath (7.45pm) Live on Discovery+
Fri 10 May Sale v Leicester (7.45pm) Live on TNT Sports & Discovery+
Sat 11 May Bristol v Saracens (3.05pm) Live on ITV & TNT Sports
Sat 11 May Northampton v Gloucester (3.05pm) Live on Discovery+
Sat 11 May Exeter v Harlequins (5.30pm) Live on TNT Sports
Round 18
18 May Bath v Northampton (3.05pm)
18 May Gloucester v Newcastle (3.05pm)
18 May Harlequins v Bristol (3.05pm)
18 May Leicester v Exeter (3.05pm)
18 May Saracens v Sale (3.05pm)
Gallagher Premiership Rugby predictions
I think the top four will be: Northampton Saints, Saracens, Bath and Bristol. Northampton and Saracens should have home semi-finals.
The top four won’t change as the clubs currently in the qualified positions will have enough fire power to get the results over the line.
Of course it is still possible for Harlequins, Sale, Exeter and Leicester to make the semi-finals. If any of those four win a match in the penultimate round and the current top four lose, the situation could be vastly different. For example, if Harlequins beat Exeter and Bristol lose to Saracens then the London club will leapfrog them into fourth.
But my prediction remains the same, the top four stays as it is come the end of the regular season.
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