Adam Williams presents his prediction for the English Premiership rugby match.
Even if Harlequins win, they won't catch up to Bristol Bears, but it's crucial they keep pace with the top four. Considering both the match-up and the standings, this is arguably the most intriguing clash of the round.
Harlequins
Throughout 2024, Harlequins have claimed victory in 7 of their 10 home matches, yet only one of those wins can be termed as decisive—the very first against Ulster in the Champions Cup (47:19). In most other instances, their advantage rarely exceeded 10 points. Two of their three defeats came in closely fought battles, settled by one to two points. The sole outlier was indeed their game against Bristol Bears (28:53) in the last round of the previous championship.
Bristol Bears
That match at the tournament’s close set the stage for a strong start this season. After the fourth round, the Bears were leading, but a critical last-second loss to Saracens (35:37) dropped them to fourth place. A win over Northampton (31:23) narrowed the gap to the top spot to just one point.
Harlequins vs Bristol Bears Prediction
That hefty defeat is not the lone slip for Harlequins. In the last five matches, Bristol Beras have triumphed three times. They haven't lost by more than nine points, and those were home games. They are unbeaten in their last two away matches.
