It’s already week seven in the Gallagher Premiership and the latest round of fixtures offers up a mouth-watering contest as unbeaten Saracens travel to the Exeter Chiefs.
Before the drama unfolds at Sandy Park on Saturday, there’s set to be a tightly-fought contest on Friday night as London Irish host to an improving Gloucester side.
Cherry & Whites on the rise
| What: | London Irish v Gloucester |
| Where: | Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford |
| When: | 19:45, Friday 21st October |
| How to watch: | Sky Sports Main Event / Cricket |
| Odds: | London Irish 21/20, Gloucester 5/6 |
Gloucester have been one of the surprise packages in the Premiership so far this season, with three wins from their first four outings.
The Cherry & Whites produced a fine performance to beat fellow playoff contenders Bristol Bears 31-28 at Kingsholm last weekend and will be full of confidence as they head to the capital.
Scotland fly-half Adam Hastings continues to pull the strings in the backline and his recent efforts have seen him make a return to the Scotland squad for the Autumn Nations Series.
Meanwhile, London Irish will be hoping to bounce back after they were comprehensively beaten 37-14 at Sale Sharks last weekend.
The Exiles have been somewhat inconsistent this season, so this game very much depends on which Irish team shows up on Friday night.
Saints eyeing winning momentum
| What: | Bath v Northampton |
| Where: | The Recreation Ground, Bath |
| When: | 15:00, Saturday 22nd October |
| How to watch: | PRTV |
| Odds: | Bath 6/4, Northampton 8/15 |
After edging out Newcastle Falcons last week, Northampton Saints will be hoping to make it back-to-back wins when they travel to strugglers Bath on Saturday.
Saints were made to work for the victory at Franklin’s Gardens as they battled to a 32-31 success over the Falcons.
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Northampton next head to The Rec to face a Bath side that have endured the worst possible start to the season with defeats in all of their first six games.
The south west outfit did surprise many with how they battled against Saracens last week at StoneX Stadium but Bath did still end up on the wrong side of a 37-31 scoreline.
That performance will give Bath some much-needed confidence ahead of the arrival of Northampton, who themselves have been somewhat hit and miss this season.
The pick of the bunch
| What: | Exeter Chiefs v Saracens |
| Where: | Sandy Park, Exeter |
| When: | 15:00, Saturday 22nd October |
| How to watch: | BT Sport 2 |
| Odds: | Exeter Chiefs 4/5, Saracens 1/1 |
Saracens are still one of the two remaining unbeaten sides in the Premiership and they will again put their record on the line at Sandy Park this weekend.
An away clash with a resurgent Exeter side is arguably Saracens' toughest challenge of the campaign to date.
These sides have played out some thrilling encounters in recent years and Saturday's showdown is likely to be no different.
A chance for the two clubs’ international stars to get a run-out before heading off to their respective national sides for the autumn internationals, this certainly looks to be the pick of the weekend’s fixtures.
After having their game against Wasps cancelled last weekend, the Chiefs will certainly be the fresher of the two teams going into Saturday’s game.
Sharks aim to keep up fine form
| What: | Sale Sharks v Harlequins |
| Where: | AJ Bell Stadium, Greater Manchester |
| When: | 15:00, Sunday 23rd October |
| How to watch: | BT Sport 1 |
| Odds: | Sale Sharks 2/7, Harlequins 11/4 |
While Exeter against Saracens might be the pick of the weekend’s fixtures, Sale Sharks versus Harlequins would rank a close second.
Sale have been outstanding at the start of the new campaign with five wins from five so far. The Sharks clearly take great pride in their defence and it has been the foundation of their success so far this season.
Sale have conceded just 92 points after their first five games, making them the meanest defence in the Premiership.
This defence will be put to the test when Harlequins make the trip to the north west, with Quins the fourth highest scorers in the league.
Sale are not without their own attacking muscle which is why they are the firm favourites going into this one at the AJ Bell Stadium.
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