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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Gerard Meagher

Premiership’s disjointed sprint finish begins with playoff battle bonanza

Harlequins’ Marcus Smith takes on Leinster in the  Champions Cup.
Marcus Smith is set to go head to head with England teammate George Ford when Harlequins take on Sale. Photograph: Andrew Fosker/Shutterstock

The Premiership season is rounding the final bend and entering the home straight. Organisers like to call this point in the campaign “The Run-in” and they could hardly have wished for a better set of fixtures this weekend to begin it with. Sixth host fourth when Saracens entertain Gloucester, fifth go to seventh with Sale travelling to Harlequins and on Sunday, second and third lock horns with Bristol facing Leicester.

As was the case last season, the race for the playoffs is shaping up to be a blanket finish. Bath are out in front in first but with five matches remaining, only four points separate Leicester in third and Harlequins in seventh. Bristol are a further five ahead in the runners-up spot and with second to seventh all playing each other this weekend, through rose-tinted glasses it is the perfect way to showcase the sprint finish.

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