Premiership Preview: Falcons boss Steve Diamond starts ban and fan away zones trialed this weekend

04/17/2025 07:50 AM

After a fortnight of action across the Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup knock-out stages, top flight of English club rugby returns this weekend. We are primed and ready for five elite level fixtures as we close in on the end of the regular season, with just four rounds left between now and the play-off places being finalised.

In this article, we will take a look at each of the five fixtures scheduled for this weekend, and review the form of every Premiership side coming into this one. With just four Premiership weekends remaining, each club will be going out all guns blazing to book their place in the top four of the table. The action starts once again under the Friday night lights, as Newcastle host Northampton at Kingston Park.

Newcastle Falcons vs Northampton Saints, Friday 18th April, Kingston Park – 19:45 KO

Northampton Director of Rugby Phil Dowson has some key selection decisions to make, as the Saints travel up to the North East on Friday night. The green, black and gold battlers reached the semi-finals of the Champions Cup this past weekend, with an emphatic 51-16 win over Castres Olimpique solidifying their spot in the final four, as none other than the last Premiership side left in the competition.

Dowson would not want to risk any injuries against a gutsy Falcons outfit, with a Champions Cup semi-final against Leinster booked in for the first weekend of May. England fullback George Furbank made his triumphant Saints return last Saturday, after a broken arm has kept him out since December. However, it would be suprising to see Furbank selected, after some issues around his recently recovered arm arose after he scored a try against Castres.

Northampton need a win to turn their Premiership season around, after a frustrating year sees the defending Premiership champions sat at eighth in the table. Whilst the East Midlanders are a long shot from qualifying for the play-off places, a stong finish to the season is certainly the order at Franklin’s Gardens. Newcastle have endured a similarly difficult season in the top flight, with the Falcons’ wings clipped as they prop up the table at tenth.

With two wins to their name this year in the Premiership, it’s been a better run of form when compared to the 18-straight defeats Newcastle suffered in the 2023/24 season. The Falcons will be without their Director of Rugby Steve Diamond, after the boss verbally abused a match official following Newcastle’s defeat to Exeter Chiefs on March 29th. The 56-year-old is serving a six-week ban that will run to the end of the Premiership season, and Diamond has not been shy in voicing his grievances of a ‘flawed system’.

Exeter Chiefs vs Bath Rugby – Saturday 19th April, Sandy Park, 15:00 KO

The first fixture on Saturday afternoon is a tasty one, as Exeter Chiefs host Bath for a West Country derby down in Devon. It’s been a polarising Premiership season for the two South Westerly clubs, who meet for a rematch of the latest Premiership Rugby Cup Final. The first trophy up for grabs went to Bath, as the Rec faithful ended their arduous 17-year wait to add a fresh piece of silverware to the trophy cabinet.

Bath handed the Chiefs a decisive 48-14 defeat to take the trophy home, with the Premiership Rugby Cup remaining in the West Country. Exeter won the title in 2023, before Gloucester were crowned champions last year and the accolade now rests with the blue, black and whites. Bath are on form for a rare treble this season, as they sit a comfortable 10-points clear atop the Premiership table and reached the semi-finals of the EPCR Challenge Cup this past weekend with a 61-26 hammering of local rivals Gloucester.

After defeating Ealing Trailfinders for a place in the Premiership Rugby Cup Final, Exeter Chiefs had to wait a good while to get another taste of that winning feeling. Exeter succumbed to the aforementioned defeat to Bath, before Bristol Bears handed the Chiefs a heavy defeat in the ‘M5 Derby’. Exeter got back on track in their latest on-field outing, as they secured a narrow 17-15 win over the Falcons in a battle at the bottom of the table.

After their pool stage elimination from the Champions Cup, Rob Baxter’s side have had to bide their time this past fortnight as European rugby took precedence over the Premiership. Having trained the house down, the ninth-placed Chiefs are out for a strong finish to their season with a win over the league leaders the perfect way to get the campaign back on track.

Harlequins vs Sale Sharks – Saturday 19th April, Twickenham Stoop, 15:05 KO

The upcoming clash between Harlequins and Sale Sharks will have a tremendous impact upon their league standings, should additional results play to their favour. Both seventh-placed Quins and fifth-placed Sale are within five points of the play-offs, and a bonus point win could propel either team into the top four. However, this all depends on whether Gloucester or Leicester get well beaten upon their trips to London and Bristol (more on that shortly).

Harlequins need to bounce back following their latest on-field appearance, in what was a disastrous day for the Londoners. The Twickenham side were handed an emphatic 62-0 hammering from Leinster, to send Harlequins tumbling out of the Investec Champions Cup at the quarter-final mark. To prove it was not a fluke, the Dubliners then pumped Glasgow Warriors 52-0, to book their spot in the semi-finals. Harlequins need to get across the whitewash as soon as possible, after being humbled in the Irish capital.

Despite being sat at seventh in the table, Harlequins remain well in the fight for a play-off place, which only opitimises the closeness of the Premiership’s chasing pack. Amongst that said group are the Sharks, who currently sit at fifth but have their eyes focused on a Jaws-like race to the surface. Sale enjoyed back-to-back Premiership wins over Newcastle and Northampton before their departure from the Champions Cup, as defending title-holders Stade Toulousain dumped Alex Sanderson’s men out in the quarter-finals.

Being so close to a spot in the top four, the Sharks smell blood in the water as the faintest mistake could cost either Gloucester or Bristol their place come the end of this week’s action. This match has all the makings of a classic, with two side’s in the Premiership’s chasing pack set to leave it all on the line in a bid to make the top four as the league cascades towards the end of the season.

Saracens vs Gloucester Rugby – Saturday 19th April, StoneX Stadium, 17:30 KO

We’ll start with Gloucester ahead of their trip to the nation’s capital, with the Cherry and Whites eager to recover from their embarrassing West Country derby defeat to Bath. Not only did Gloucester hand the regional bragging rights to their blue and white noisy neighbours, but they also lost their place in the Challenge Cup. Gloucester reached the Challenge Cup final last season, and had their sights set on going one further this time around. The defeat to Bath is a gut-punch of a loss for Skivington’s men to take.

Currently fourth in the Premiership after a real resurgence in their domestic form this season, Gloucester will not turn all their attention to the league – a reverse of their endgame goal from a year ago. The Cherry and Whites were criticised for pouring their sole focus into the Challenge Cup after fielding an inexperienced side to lose 90-0 to Northampton, at this stage some 12 months prior. If Gloucester can keep their boots on the ground and maintain traction upon a singular focus, there’s no reason why they can’t reach their first Premiership Final since 2007.

Sixth-placed Saracens embody the same mindset as Sale Sharks, in how they are hunting down the play-off places some two points adrift. A bonus point win for Saracens over their visitors this Saturday would send the North Londoners into the top four, in a straight swap with Gloucester’s seat at the table. Sarries were eliminated from the Champions Cup at the quarter-final stage, as Toulon racked up a monstrous 72-42 tally in an all-time classic against the three-time European champions.

Saracens have been plotting for their Premiership return, and no one in their right mind should count out a late push for the play-offs, from the most dominant English club side of the past decade. An interesting element set to debut at the StoneX, is the arrival of a designated away zone for travelling Gloucester supporters.

The idea will be trialed this weekend at the North London stadium, with the self-professed ‘Kingsholm Shed on Tour’ out to crank up the decibels with their own allotted section of the ground. Whilst the option for Gloucester fans to have beer and mingle with the Saracens fans remains a possibility, this match sees the introduction of tickets specifically for the away fans, to replicate the partisan atmosphere and unique chanting of a football match.

Bristol Bears vs Leicester Tigers – Sunday 20th April, Ashton Gate, 20:00 KO

The final fixture of the Premiership weekend sees a heavyweight clash at Ashton Gate, as second-placed Bristol Bears host third-placed Leicester Tigers in what could be a pivotal battle in the race for home semi-final advantage.

Bristol currently sit second in the table on 46 points, enjoying a degree of comfort, but it's far from job done. A slip-up here could open the door for the chasing pack. Leicester, five points back on 41, are in a far more precarious position: a loss without a bonus point could see them drop out of the top four, should Sale, Saracens or Harlequins claim bonus point victories in their fixtures.

However, a bonus-point win for Leicester would pull them level with Bristol, setting up a thrilling final few rounds of the regular season. Bristol have had a mixed run of form, West Country derby wins over Bath and Exeter showed their attacking flair and top-four credentials, but a heavy loss to Gloucester last time out raised a few eyebrows. Consistency has been their Achilles' heel, and Pat Lam will be hoping his side brings their A-game under the Ashton Gate lights.

Leicester Tigers are coming off the back of two consecutive Premiership defeats, but don't be fooled — they've shown their teeth recently with a massive 33-0 derby win over Northampton Saints. That shut-out will have boosted confidence, especially in their defence, as they prepare for another bruising encounter. This isn't just second vs third; this is momentum, confidence, and potentially a home semi-final on the line. With only a few rounds remaining, every point matters, and both sides know a win here could be season-defining.

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