Adam Williams presents his prediction for the Premiership Rugby match.
On Saturday, the top and bottom teams in the English Premiership will go head-to-head as Bath Rugby take on Newcastle Falcons. The outcome appears almost inevitable — both sides will have a clear sense of what to expect. Backing the hosts to win outright holds little appeal, so it’s worth considering a more nuanced betting perspective.
Bath Rugby
The Somerset outfit currently sit atop the Premiership standings with a commanding 15-point lead. Even if both Leicester Tigers and Bristol Bears, who are in second and third place respectively, were to secure maximum points, the squad has already surpassed last year’s champions Northampton Saints, who won the league phase with 60 points, by one. Bath Rugby boast a remarkable points difference of +202. It’s somewhat surprising, then, that they finished fifth out of six in their Champions Cup group, missing out on the knockout round and instead dropping into the second-tier Challenge Cup. However, they progressed convincingly to the semi-finals in that competition, recording a 49:24 away win over Section Paloise and a 61:26 home victory against Gloucester Rugby.
Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons began their European campaign in the Challenge Cup but failed to make an impression, finishing bottom of their group and failing to earn a single bonus point. Next season, they are likely to remain in Europe’s second-tier competition, with Champions Cup qualification well out of reach — they currently sit 21 points behind eighth-placed Northampton Saints in the Premiership. Since the conclusion of the Six Nations, Newcastle Falcons have lost all three matches, including a narrow 15:17 defeat away to their closest rivals Exeter Chiefs, widening the gap to ninth place even further.
Bath Rugby vs Newcastle Falcons Prediction
One side is a genuine title contender; the other has yet to defeat even its nearest competitor. The prediction is clear: this looks set to be a one-sided affair. In the opening round of the season, Bath Rugby already defeated Newcastle Falcons away by a strong 12-point margin (41:29).
