The battle to beat the drop

By Bryn Palmer

Five clubs are fighting to avoid relegation to the National League as the Zurich Premiership basement battle enters its final stretch.

Premiership table

Just one team will fall and only seven points separate Leeds, who have dropped to the basement, and London Irish in eighth place with five games left.

We assess the survival prospects of the teams battling to beat the dreaded drop.

HARLEQUINS

Quins have done well to remain in touch with the rest after losing their first seven Premiership fixtures of the season.

REMAINING FIXTURES 13 Mar: Newcastle (h) 26 Mar: Northampton (a) 9 April: London Irish (h) 17 Apr: Leeds (a) 30 Apr: Sale Sharks (h)

A morale-boosting thrashing of Gloucester earlier this month lifted them off the bottom, only for a home defeat to Worcester to put them back in peril.

But Saturday's victory at Bath now gives them a better-than-even chance of survival with possibly the least taxing run-in of all five teams.

Their fate is very much in their own hands, with three more games against their closest rivals.

Prospects: Home games against Newcastle and London Irish loom large, and should secure their place in the elite.

Back to top

LEEDS

Successive defeats to Sale and Saracens have left Leeds looking most vulnerable to the drop.

REMAINING FIXTURES 13 Mar: Wasps (a) 27 Mar: Leicester (h) 9 April: Gloucester (a) 17 Apr: Harlequins (h) 30 Apr: Bath (a)

A home victory over London Irish had ended a run of four consecutive Premiership defeats, but six in seven now looks like relegation form.

With Leicester one of two remaining visitors to Headingley, the Tykes will almost certainly have to eke out an away victory - no easy task given their remaining fixtures.

It may be that Iain Balshaw will need to do something special on a last-day return to The Rec if he and new signing Justin Marshall are not to be playing in Division One next season.

Prospects: Director of rugby Phil Davies will need all his nous to keep the Tykes up, with their fight set to go to the wire.

Back to top

LONDON IRISH

The Exiles were contemplating a tilt at the play-offs in the autumn but five successive Premiership defeats dragged them into the danger zone.

REMAINING FIXTURES 11 Mar: Leicester (a) 26 Mar: Gloucester (h) 9 April: Harlequins (a) 17 Apr: Bath (h) 30 Apr: Newcastle (a)

A four-try, bonus-point victory at Saracens relieved the pressure, but Sunday's home defeat to Wasps leaves them still looking over their shoulder.

One more home victory should be enough, but they will not want to go to Newcastle on the final day needing victory.

Prospects: May suffer further setbacks, but should have enough spirit to survive.

Back to top

NORTHAMPTON

Saints have recovered some of their old spirit under Budge Pountney after a disastrous run of eight defeats cost Alan Solomons his job as director of rugby.

REMAINING FIXTURES 12 Mar: Gloucester (a) 26 Mar: Harlequins (h) 9 April: Bath (a) 17 Apr: Newcastle (h) 30 Apr: Worcester (a)

But a narrow loss to Saracens and a sound beating by Wasps plunged them back into the mire before Saturday's superb victory over title-chasing local rivals Leicester.

The escape is not complete yet though, and Saints have yet to provide definitive proof that they are too good to go down.

Victories in their last two home games should secure their survival, and they will not want to leave it to a last-day nerve-shredder at Worcester.

Prospects: Northampton would be the biggest casualty of the lot, and still work to do to avoid the unthinkable.

Back to top

WORCESTER

Three successive victories over Leeds, Harlequins and Sale have catapulted Worcester from bottom spot to within touching distance of safety.

REMAINING FIXTURES 12 Mar: Bath (a) 26 Mar: Saracens (h) 10 Apr: Newcastle (a) 17 Apr: Wasps (a) 30 Apr: Northampton (h)

The Warriors have made a decent fist of their first season among the elite and their survival would give hope to whoever emerges from the National League.

But despite making this year's Premiership the most competitive yet, they can expect no favours between now and the end of April.

They still have a demanding schedule of fixtures and will not want to leave it until the final day to ensure they do not immediately return to Division One after just one season.

Prospects: One more victory could be enough, and will look to complete the job before the end of March.

Back to top