Premiership Round 15: Handre Pollard vs Marcus Smith headlines best matchups of weekend

By Charlie Elliott

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Round 15 of the Premiership is taking place this weekend, with plenty still to play for. 

Saracens will look to put an end to their woes up north as they head to Sale Sharks for the Friday night kickoff, in the game with the most direct top four implications. 

Sale sit fourth and Sarries fifth, so a win for either side would be huge in both getting themselves points while also knocking a rival down a peg. 

Leicester Tigers and Harlequins will take part in the away end experiment, in what could prove to be a very different atmosphere at Welford Road. 

Table toppers Bath can secure their status as league leaders going into the post-season with a bonus-point win against Newcastle Falcons being enough. 

With a couple of other games also on the agenda, the action is endless, and the implications could be huge. 

The players will decide the result on the pitch, and here are the best matchups from each of the games that you should look out for. 

Rekeiti Ma’asi-White v Olly Hartley 

Sale Sharks v Saracens is not only a big game in the race for the top four, but is also a perfect chance for two young English centres to try and stake their claim as being better than the other ahead of England‘s tour to Argentina in the Summer. 

With Steve Borthwick expected to select fringe players and have a more youthful side on the tour, these two will be well up for contention. 

Ma’asi-White is an apprentice of Manu Tuilagi and has been described as the heir apparent for the legendary player, and has burst onto the scene this season with some very strong performances for Alex Sanderson’s side. 

Hartley has been called up for England A already and recently signed a new long-term contract with Sarries, which indicates the faith that Mark McCall has in the 23-year-old. 

Alfie Barbeary v Callum Chick 

At number eight, Barbeary has been a very underrated figure for Bath so far this season, with much of his work being key in a lot of the physical play that Johann van Graan’s team has been known for this season. 

With the Blue, Black and Whites being able to secure top spot with a bonus-point win over lowly Newcastle Falcons with three games to go, they will be relying on physicality to try and overpower the Falcons. 

Chick is captain for Steve Diamond’s side and has been very good in the back row this season, especially considering the results that they have had. 

He will be looking to overpower his opposite number and spoil the party. 

Handre Pollard v Marcus Smith 

A very obvious matchup given that these two players are so big for their teams, Leicester Tigers fly-half Pollard will be looking to end his career in the East Midlands with a Premiership title. 

Harlequins are effectively out of the top four race, but a win could just about see them still in the conversation. 

Smith has been relied upon heavily for Quins, and stopping him would basically mean stopping any kind of fluidity for the visitors. 

Both are outstanding playmakers and can make magic happen from their boot, and being able to dictate the play could prove the difference on Saturday. 

It is a great chance for Smith to prove his worth again after an unlucky few months, which included him hitting for post four times in one conversion attempt, which did not end up going in. 

Tommy Freeman v Gabriel Ibitoye 

Power will be up against pace on the wing in the Northampton Saints v Bristol Bears game, with two wingers who are amongst the most exciting in the league set to go toe to toe. 

Freeman is a bulky and powerful winger who has really gone up a gear this year, especially in the Six Nations, and is easily one of the best in England. 

Ibitoye is less highly rated due to his defensive weaknesses, but offensively, he is a huge danger. 

Bristol have become known for their lack of defence and brilliant attack, so in many ways, their winger is the perfect man for them. 

After a lengthy injury, Ibitoye made his first start last week against Tigers, scoring a try but being responsible for one conceded when he passed the ball straight to Ollie Hassell-Collins. 

Both teams find themselves at different ends of the table, with the Bears up in third and Saints in seventh, but this matchup is much closer than the standings suggest. 

Freddie Thomas v Dafydd Jenkins 

Gloucester’s backs may create all of the noise, but the forward pack has been hugely underrated this season. 

Last week against Saracens, they weren’t at their best, and you could really see the difference across the whole team. 

Thomas has a great chance to bounce back against fellow Wales lock Jenkins, who, despite being a year younger, has made 19 appearances for his country as opposed to Thomas’ one. 

This game provides the perfect chance for Thomas to properly show what he is about against someone who he will be battling for a shirt with at international level. 

Exeter Chiefs are effectively playing for pride as they sit comfortably ninth, but with the recent news that Len Ikitau is joining next season, they will want to provide a good base for next season.