Saints braced to take on Wasps at Franklin’s Gardens

With the Six Nations in full swing, there’s no rest for the wicked as the top talents in the Rugby Union brace themselves for the return of the Aviva Premiership on 27th March.
Amongst the list of exciting fixtures set to take place on the last Friday of the month, we have the London Wasps taking on the Northampton Saints at the Saints’ home ground in Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton.
The last time these two were paired, the Saints had a very comfortable victory, beating the Wasps by 29 to six points, catapulting them to the forthcoming LV Cup final on 22nd March.
The latest win for the Saints marks the fourth occasion in which the team have reached the semi-final in the last six seasons at the Anglo Welsh Cup, though they have not claimed a title since 2010.
Looking forward to the Aviva Premiership, then, many punters have got their eyes on the Saints to continue their streak of good luck when they take on the Wasps later this month. In fact, despite the hype of the current Six Nations, betting markets have already opened up for the next set of games in the Premiership. Those who don’t have time to head to the bookmakers on the day have a variety of deposit options at Betsafe, who, like others, also have their eyes on the Northampton side.
In their last Premiership match, it was a close pairing between the Saints and Gloucester Rugby, who walked away with a 33-33 draw. 30-year-old fly half Stephen Myler managed to convert a late try from Samu Manoa, helping them to salvage a draw before the Six Nations break.
The Saints’ director of rugby Jim Mallinder said: “We showed what a good side we are in that second half. We talked about getting our balance right, and we played some good rugby.
“You can’t come down to Kingsholm and play as we did in the first-half. They are a proud team and it is a proud rugby city, and we made some fundamental mistakes in terms of our game-management.”
Meanwhile, the Wasps’ last game saw them losing 19-12 to the Saracens, who have now climbed the table to third place. After losing one and drawing one game this season, things are looking shaky for the Wasps as they come up against the Saints on 27th March.
But will two teams tired out from the Six Nations be affected? Only time will tell.