Jeremy Guscott's Premiership predictions

By Jeremy GuscottRugby Union analyst, BBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section Rugby Unioncomments73

Friday

Sale v Gloucester

Prediction: Gloucester to win by more than 10 points

Match report: Sale 32-9 Gloucester

Saturday

Harlequins v Bath

Prediction: Quins to win by about 10 points

Match report: Harlequins 23-9 Bath

Exeter v London Irish

Prediction: Exeter to win by about seven points

Match report: Exeter Chiefs 27-6 London Irish

Sunday

London Welsh v Northampton

Prediction: Northampton to win by more than 10 points

Match report: London Welsh 14-31 Northampton

Saracens v Worcester

Prediction: Saracens to win by more than 10 points

Match report: Saracens 47-17 Worcester

Leicester v Wasps

Prediction: Leicester to win a high scoring match

Match report: Leicester 35-16 Wasps

You can also follow Jerry on Twitter.external-link

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73 comments

  • Comment posted by I can I can t, at 00:31 12 Apr 2013

    I am the first to comment it seems. My wife gave birth to Sasha and Freddie today. Welcome; you are already sort of famous!

  • Comment posted by U15565363, at 21:57 12 Apr 2013

    Dear Mr. Guscott,
    Please stop underestimating Sale. They have, for the second week in a row, proved you wrong!

    Everyone else arguing about lions, please stop! Unless you are Warren Gatland and you have gone undercover, no amount of arguing is going to have any effect on the future team or squad. I have no objection to putting possible teams on here but please respect other people's opinions!

  • Comment posted by GM Massingbird, at 10:13 12 Apr 2013

    Jerry, Mate, although you may be correct, you have just picked the team thats highest up the league table in ervery match.

    You're a good looking bloke but you draw on the license fee to provide some insight, possibly predict an upset and have us drawn to the results with anticipation of excitement and a thrilling game.

    That cheecky smile of yours isn't going to work forever. X

  • Comment posted by Sale1861, at 16:18 13 Apr 2013

    Glaws by 10!

    How wrong can you get :-)

    Your forfeit Jeremy is to come up North sometime and see how proper running rugby should be played, especially by MoM Mr T, aka Johnny Leota.

  • Comment posted by nwlad, at 00:21 13 Apr 2013

    Gloucester were well beaten tonight by a side that has found form in the last few weeks. If sharks had played like this from the start of the season, they would have been pushing for top six again. Gloucester hardly spent anytime in sharks territory tonight and were vastly outplayed. They underestimated a sharks team that has hit form. Gloucester were not poor, sharks were superb. 8)

  • Comment posted by SaleSharkfan, at 22:41 12 Apr 2013

    Jerry, Glaws need to score 10 pts in order to win by 10 !!

  • Comment posted by Owain ap Gruffudd, at 11:34 12 Apr 2013

    IMO this page could be considerably improved quite easily.It would have far greater appeal if it focused on the pick of the fixtures from more than just the Aviva. There are important games in the Pro12, and also in the RFU Championship.Why not make some predictions on them too, and thereby attract a wider audience, and increase the interest in the page? C'mon Jerry/BBC spread your wings.

  • Comment posted by Michael Green, at 10:44 12 Apr 2013

    GM you are spot on, JG is very predictable, and needs to create some innovation in his rugby columns and TV appearances

  • Comment posted by Owain ap Gruffudd, at 07:56 12 Apr 2013

    Christian Wade must have a good chance of being a Lions Bolter. Not the finished article as of yet, but huge potential. Hope he has a cracking game.

  • Comment posted by U15668808, at 00:57 14 Apr 2013

    Why is it assumed that strength of the club game and % qualified players necessarily correlates with strength of the international game? Its just a non sequitur. Internationally, Wales are a useful outfit, but their clubs - packed with Welsh qualified players as Owain keeps telling everyone - are pretty useless. Its the complete reverse for Ireland who apart from 1 season have never performed.

  • Comment posted by U15228787, at 21:39 13 Apr 2013

    My point is these 2 players know they can't give 100% for their club in Top14 and also do their best for their country. So they choose between club and country. French players can't make that choice because they already play in Top14 so they try to do their best for both, get the wooden spoon, then probably lose the Heineken Cup to an Irish team of a French team with no French players in it.

  • Comment posted by U13800739, at 21:34 13 Apr 2013

    Owain, you clearly haven't been reading mine and MovingForward's posts if you think this was the first time we suggested a reason for it. We've suggested plenty of reasons as to why the English/French teams have underperformed.
    Another reason may also be that the 6 nations isn't the be all and end all of internationals. Southern hemisphere tours/AIs count too... How have Wales done in them?

  • Comment posted by JohnnyWAL, at 21:29 13 Apr 2013

    @67 You can't tile Eng and Fra with the same brush. Fra have had their worst 6Ns ever which for me is a 1 off,still plenty of phenomenal players there, and in the last decade have won 4 6Ns including 2 grand slams,so they as a union can be pleased. Eng however only have 1 6Ns in a decade and didn't get the grand slam, for me there is a problem in England turning out international quality players.

  • Comment posted by U15228787, at 21:23 13 Apr 2013

    Owain. 2 examples that come to mind. Nathan Hines. Still probably one of the best Scottish players imo. If he was playing in Scotland he'd surely be in the national side. But he knows his old body can't battle on too many fronts. So he plays for his club and is unavailable for his country. Gethin Jenkins faced with the same dilema but chooses to return to Wales to focus on Wales.

  • Comment posted by JohnnyWAL, at 21:18 13 Apr 2013

    @66 Although i agree with you to a point, the RFU did do everything they could to stop Welsh getting promoted and if they did stop them from being competitive as they could only sign players 2-3 weeks or so before the start of the season instead of 3 months. Welsh even with the points back would still be bottom right now, and Sale have hit form, was only a matter of time along with Irish

  • Comment posted by Owain ap Gruffudd, at 21:18 13 Apr 2013

    @61 & 65

    Ok, at least you have now answered the question, and expressed your view.I agree it is but one factor, of many. To simply say that is the sole reason though, is IMO far too simplistic. We will disagree, but I believe, like NZ,Aus,SA, Ire etc etc have the foreign player issue right. You will obviously say the French/English system is working. There we disagree.

  • Comment posted by U14138411, at 21:15 13 Apr 2013

    The thing about Welsh is that the RFU didn't really want them in the Premiership,as they blocked them from being promoted originally. That points deduction effectively sealed their fate back to the Championship which is a shame as it was nice to see a new club in the Premiership rather than the same old teams getting relegated and coming back up over and over again.

  • Comment posted by U13800739, at 21:09 13 Apr 2013

    @62, I've said it before. @61 has hit the nail on the head. Some teams, not saying all, get a free ride in the R12. No relegation, and guaranteed (in some cases, most, near guaranteed) HC status. They can therefore save themselves for 6 nations and HC. English teams have to battle relegation, for a HC place/AP title & then 6 nations & european comp. Players aren't superhumans, they're drained

  • Comment posted by U13800739, at 20:59 13 Apr 2013

    @60 Thanks for backing me up! I have to admit I wondered why your post was removed. I thought it looked like a decent lions squad!
    Anyway, back to the point of this page, the AP matches this week. For tomorrow's matches, can't see past Saints and Sarries. Tigers Wasps should be a cracker. I'm worried though, they have a nasty habit of derailing us (Tigers) 4 points almost seals a home semi though!

  • Comment posted by Owain ap Gruffudd, at 20:57 13 Apr 2013

    @59

    Thank you for answering one of my questions. I know the other is a bit more difficult, but I'll I ask you for the third and last time.

    Both England & France have strong leagues/Clubs. But neither punches anywhere near where it should, compared to much poorer smaller nations. Why do you think that is?

    Try if you can to spare the sarcasm, no need for it.

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