Of the seven English clubs that reached the European Rugby Champions Cup play-offs, only three remain in the quarter-finals, and two of them have been drawn against each other.
Bath Rugby
Both clubs fully deserve to be at this stage, as they are also fighting for top spot in the English league. They occupy the top two positions in Premiership Rugby, separated by only one point, with Northampton Saints leading the standings. Between them they have suffered only three defeats in 12 rounds. In the round of 16 of the European Rugby Champions Cup, Bath Rugby faced another Premiership side, Saracens. The visitors were dangerous and led at half-time (10:0). The hosts' comeback started right after the break, when Henry Arundell finished a brilliant run with a try under the posts. The team even scored one of their tries while down a man. In the end the hosts won 31:22.
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints also did not have an easy time in their first play-off match, despite being clear favourites. In the opening 12 minutes the hosts allowed two line breaks by Castres Olympique and trailed 0:12. Fortunately for them, over the next six minutes the French side committed two serious infringements and had to play with 13 men for seven minutes. A relatively comfortable lead only appeared in the final half-hour, and Northampton Saints eventually won 49:41. That is their biggest winning margin in their last three home matches.
Bath Rugby vs Northampton Saints Prediction
However, Northampton Saints will have to play away from home. The issue is not their own form – they have seven wins in their last eight matches – but Bath's strength at the Recreation Ground: 11 wins from 13 home games this season and an active six-match winning streak. One of the two exceptions was precisely the Premiership Rugby meeting with Northampton Saints, which ended 21:41. Therefore backing the visitors with a positive handicap looks more reasonable, as they are certainly not inferior to the hosts.
