Have Bath got the thin end of the Premiership play-off draw?

The dates and kick-off times for the Gallagher Premiership play-offs have been confirmed, with Bath handed the Friday evening slot, on June 6th, kick-off 7.45pm.

RugbyPass understands the runaway Premiership leaders’ preferred option was to play their semi-final against the fourth-place team on the Saturday, which instead will feature second versus third.

Bath started the league season at home on a Friday night, against reigning champions Northampton in a re-run of last year’s final. Johann van Graan’s team overturned the Twickenham result in September with a 38-16 win over Saints, but their Premiership record under the Friday night lights at The Rec in the last few seasons is mixed.

In van Graan’s first season, they played three league games at home on a Friday night and won just one, a 19-18 victory against Leicester. The following season (2023/24), they won by a one-point margin again, 20-19 vs Bristol, but then lost 15-12 to Saracens in what was a distinctly below-par performance.

Overall, Bath, who are currently 15 points clear at the top of the league and red-hot favourites for their first Premiership title, only have a 50% Premiership win record under van Graan at The Rec on a Friday night.

Given their dominance, Bath will back themselves to beat whatever opposition comes their way on any given day and one upside to playing on a Friday night is that it gives the team slightly more rest before the final – if they get that far.

The weight of history is also behind Bath, and whoever finishes as the second seeds. While Harlequins’ remarkable comeback win from 28-0 down against Bristol at Ashton Gate in June 2021 proves that miracles do happen, the play-off ties are normally home team bankers. You have to go back 10 seasons, to 2014/15, to find the next example of an away team win (29-24 win for Saracens at Northampton).

While Bath confirmed their number one seed status with three rounds to go, the three other play-off places are still up for grabs.

Leicester only need a point at home to bottom-placed Newcastle to book their place in the play-offs, while a win would guarantee them a home semi-final as second seeds.

Sale, who are two points behind Leicester in third, travel to an improving Exeter in the final round, while Bristol, who occupy the final place in the play-offs heading into the final weekend of the regular season, host Harlequins at Ashton Gate.

Gloucester and Saracens are both at home, against Northampton and Bath respectively, as they look to move into the top four. Both have two points to make up on Bristol, with all three teams having won nine matches apiece.

Both fixtures will be broadcast live on TNT Sports.

Gallagher Premiership 2024/25 play-offs

Friday, June 6: Bath Rugby vs 4th (7.45pm)
Saturday, June 7: 2nd vs 3rd (3.30pm)