1) Bath on the brink of disaster
Another home defeat in the Premiership for Bath, whose season is now in grave danger of unravelling. It may have taken a late Joe Simmonds penalty for Exeter but after a bright start to the campaign Bath’s inconsistency has been their downfall and they occupy eighth place in the table. They will most likely have to win all four of their remaining matches to reach the play-offs and failure to qualify for the Champions Cup would be an unmitigated disaster. Bath have not been helped by injuries but there have been times this season when Todd Blackadder’s frustration at his players’ inability to take on board his instructions has been palpable. Supporters can but hope a trip to Twickenham next month – when they host Leicester – will bring out their best. Gerard Meagher
• Match report: Bath 18-20 Exeter
2) England can take heart from Genge’s return
It was not a positive afternoon for England on the injury front at Welford Road but there was certainly a bright note with the return of Ellis Genge for his first appearance since December following a shoulder injury. He made an immediate impact at the scrum – highlighted by Dai Young as a key reason why his side could not pull clear of Leicester in the second half – and he is always a menace in the loose. When Eddie Jones talks about resting some of his British & Irish Lions, Mako Vunipola must be close to the front of the queue for a breather and facing the Springboks would represent an excellent opportunity for Genge to continue his development. Scrummaging has always been the concern but it was certainly a strength against Wasps. GM
• Match report: Leicester Tigers 16-15 Wasps
3) McNally’s comeback brings a bit of perspective
London Irish may be staring at a return to the Championship, just as the Premiership contemplates closing the door, but such considerations were put into perspective by the recent experience of Josh McNally, who returned to the side after a stroke in October, scored the game’s first try and acted generally as a reminder that playing remains a privilege, however difficult times may get. The lock-cum-flanker has undergone surgery to close a hole in his heart, a relatively common condition but one dangerous to anyone who pushes themselves as hard as professional athletes. The hole allowed a clot to escape after Irish’s defeat against Saracens, precipitating a minor stroke. “I’m lucky it wasn’t worse,” he said, grateful for more than just Irish’s man-of-the-match award. Michael Aylwin
• Match report: London Irish 29-33 Gloucester
4) Falcons’ bumper crowd hints at bright future
Newcastle’s victory was not the most aesthetically pleasing but its value cannot be underestimated. Playing at St James’ Park in front of a bumper crowd of 30,174 – almost three times their previous best home attendance – Dean Richards’s team again showed that winning has become a habit. This latest success strengthened the Falcons’ play-off prospects and should also help to grow their fanbase. They have a three-year agreement to play an annual match at Newcastle United’s stadium and Toby Flood, a former St James’ Park ball-boy who kicked 20 points against an ill-disciplined Saints, said: “I’ve been lucky enough to play at some pretty awesome venues during my career but that was a huge tick in the box and after that final whistle the buzz was just incredible.” Ross Heppenstall
• Match report: Newcastle 25-22 Northampton
5) Cloud on Sale’s sunny horizon
There may be disciplinary proceedings this week after the Worcester fly-half Jamie Shillcock was picked up on the microphone complaining that a Sale player had twice made a homophobic remark. The two directors of rugby said afterwards that they knew nothing about it. Meanwhile Sale go into the final four rounds of the Premiership six points off a play-off position. The Sharks have assembled one of the most potent back divisions in the league, starting with Faf de Klerk at scrum-half and finishing with a back three of Mike Haley, Denny Solomona and a rejuvenated Marland Yarde. If Champions Cup qualification is their main goal, the play-offs are more than a distant dream, although one of their remaining fixtures is at Exeter. Their final match at home to Leicester is likely to have something on it for both sides. Paul Rees
• Match score: Sale 58-25 Worcester
6) Quins mix sublime and ridiculous
Harlequins have as many strands to their personality as there are colours on their traditional jersey (on the rare occasions it seems to be worn in these commercial times). They went toe-to-toe with Saracens for the most part and saw more of the ball, but for every standout moment – and Joe Marchant had a few in the centre as did Marcus Smith when he came on at fly-half – there were a couple of horrendous ones, usually involving weak tackling which contributed to the two tries they conceded. They had more players returning from England duty than Saracens but, while their rivals are collectively strong, Quins are a largely individual side. Their director of rugby, John Kingston, said it was the strongest squad he had known; his task is to make it gel as the Challenge Cup beckons. PR
• Match report: Saracens 24-11 Harlequins
