The short side: Derbies, returnees and blindside battle

Colin Newboult

The short side returns to Planet Rugby as we study the main talking points ahead of this weekend’s action in the PremiershipPRO14 and Top 14.

Premiership game to watch – Saracens v Harlequins

While Newcastle Falcons’ encounter with northern cousins Sale Sharks is huge, both in terms of the occasion – with it taking place at the 52,000 capacity St James’ Park – and the league points both teams desperately need, you can’t look past the London derby. It takes place at the London Stadium, the current home of West Ham United, and sees second face third. Sarries have struggled slightly recently, particularly away from Allianz Park, but they should be close to full strength on Saturday. Quins, meanwhile, have impressed this season and were on a five-match Premiership winning streak before that was halted abruptly by Gloucester two weeks ago. On form, Paul Gustard’s men may fancy their chances of causing an upset but the defending champions should be too strong with their internationals back.

PRO14 game to watch – Edinburgh v Leinster

The Irish province are already assured of top spot in Conference B but Edinburgh are amongst a group of teams looking to join them in the play-offs. They currently sit bottom of a mini-league that contains four sides who have a realistic chance of making it into the top three of their conference, but a victory on Friday would significantly aid their chances. With the Scottish outfit seven points behind Ulster, a win is desperately needed and they are boosted by the fact that none of Ireland’s recent Six Nations representatives will be involved. In contrast, Richard Cockerill has called upon the services of Darcy Graham, Hamish Watson and WP Nel and the head coach will hope that those players will take the momentum from Scotland’s second-half performance against England into this clash.

Player to watch – Dan Leavy (Leinster)

One of Ireland’s stars from their outstanding 2018 campaign returns to the Leinster side when they take on Edinburgh. Joe Schmidt’s men missed Leavy’s energy and physicality during the recent Six Nations, which saw them succumb to both England and Wales, but the 24-year-old has returned just in time for the province’s end of season run. It is a good time for the flanker to come back into the fold with Leo Cullen’s charges going for the Champions Cup and PRO14, while an excellent finish to the year will put the openside in good shape for the World Cup warm-up matches.

One-v-one battle to watch – Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons) v Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)

Both played together for England in the recent Six Nations but will likely face each other in the big clash at St James’ Park on Saturday. Although Curry has played most of the season at openside, he may shift to six to accommodate his brother, Ben, who has been in excellent form while Tom has been with England. They will certainly give Newcastle’s Wilson a tough afternoon, with the breakdown battle set to be keenly contested. The Falcons man has proven his worth for the Red Rose and it will certainly be an intriguing contest to watch on Saturday.

Subplot to watch – The Top 14 relegation battle

It has looked bleak for Perpignan all season but a victory over Grenoble would give them a glimmer of hope. They have only emerged triumphant once this season – against Montpellier in February – but a win on Saturday could move them to within seven points of their fellow strugglers. It is virtually impossible for the Catalans to catch Agen, who reside in 12th place, but moving up to 13th would at least give Christian Lanta’s men a chance in the relegation play-off. Meanwhile, it is a similarly important game for this weekend’s visitors, who have endured a torrid run, losing their last seven matches in the Top 14. They can still catch the Philippe Sella’s charges ahead of them but the Stade des Alpes outfit must improve quickly.

Best of the rest

It says a lot about the current state of rugby in the East Midlands that Leicester’s encounter with Northampton has not been mentioned until now, but they both are, to an extent, struggling. To the Saints’ credit, they have shown promise since the arrival of Chris Boyd but it could be a few years before they are back challenging in the top-four. Similarly, the Tigers have faltered but should be better following the return of their England internationals. It therefore sets it up nicely for Friday’s game under the lights at Welford Road.

In the PRO14, there are a couple of interesting Welsh derbies, particularly after the recent debate over the structure of the game in the country. The status quo has since been maintained but the four sides will want to show their worth to the regional game when the Cardiff Blues face the Scarlets and the Ospreys host the Dragons.

Finally, the Top 14 has several important encounters in the race for the play-offs as Castres and Stade Francais go head-to-head, Racing 92 take on Bordeaux-Begles and leaders Toulouse visit La Rochelle.