Premiership Play-Offs: History is firmly against Leicester and Exeter

Away wins in the Gallagher Premiership Play-Offs are as rare as a 3-3 draw in modern-day rugby.

‘Bristanbul’, when Harlequins famously came from 28-0 down to beat Bristol 43-36 after extra-time at Ashton Gate, was the last of the six wins for the visiting team, a statistic that Leicester and Exeter need to change if they are to maintain their title ambitions.

As the fourth-placed team at the end of the regular season, Leicester travel to table-topping Northampton on Friday night, while Bath’s Recreation Ground will stage another derby the following day, with the Chiefs in town, as second plays third.

Both teams will travel in hope but history is firmly against them. Since the play-offs were used to decide the English champions in 2002/03, the home team has won 86% of the 43 matches played.

For Leicester, though, it wouldn’t be a unique achievement. The Tigers were the first to pull off a hit-and-run job on the road, away to Gloucester in 2008.

Gallagher Premiership

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Northampton

18

14

3

1

74

2

Bath

18

13

5

0

69

3

Exeter Chiefs

18

11

6

1

65

4

Leicester

18

12

6

0

63

5

Saracens

18

10

8

0

57

6

Bristol

18

11

7

0

54

7

Sale

18

5

13

0

36

8

Gloucester

18

5

13

0

32

9

Harlequins

18

6

12

0

31

10

Newcastle

18

2

16

0

12

The ‘Special Six’ are listed below:

May 18, 2008: Gloucester 25-26 Leicester

Having been destroyed by Leicester in the previous year’s final, Gloucester were on the verge of exacting revenge on the Tigers 12 months later, only for a stoppage-time Andy Goode drop goal to silence the Shed and send the visitors to Twickenham instead. For the second time in two years, finishing top of the regular season table had counted for nothing for Gloucester, who led 12-3 at the break.

May 9, 2009: Harlequins 0-17 London Irish

With Quins missing four penalties and London Irish failing with two in a typically tense semi-final, the score was 0-0 entering the break. But tries from James Hudson and Mike Catt, along with seven points from Delon Armitage, sent the Exiles through to their first-ever play-off final, which they lost 10-9 to Leicester.

May 16, 2010: Northampton 19-21 Saracens

An acrimonious affair was settled late on when Glen Jackson converted Schalk Brits’ try to win it for Saracens. Soane Tonga’uiha’s on-off transfer from Saints to Saracens had strained relations between the clubs in the build-up and they went at each other hammer and tongs from first whistle to last, with the visitors overturning an 8-7 half-time deficit thanks, in part, to the excellence of Alex Goode.

May 12, 2013: Saracens 13-27 Northampton

Saints ended Saracens’ unbeaten record at Allianz Park (now known as the StoneX) in emphatic style. Brian Mujati and Jamie Elliott scored first-half tries as Saints romped to a 17-0 lead at the break. Table-topping Saracens threatened a comeback with two Owen Farrell penalties and Duncan Taylor’s score. But Gerritt-Jan van Velze’s try and a Stephen Myler penalty got the job done.

May 23, 2015: Northampton 24-29 Saracens

The third part of the Saints-Sarries trilogy was another pulsating match, in which the league leaders lost. Owen Farrell played a starring role with the boot, kicking five penalties and converting tries by Dave Strettle and Jamie George. Stephen Myler’s goal-kicking kept Saints in it, the fly-half contributing 14 points through four penalties and a conversion. Tom Wood crossed for Saints, who were also awarded a penalty try.

June 19, 2021: Bristol 36-43 Harlequins (AET)

Last but definitely not least, it’s the match likened to Liverpool’s 2005 Champions Cup comeback win in Istanbul. Max Malins’ brace and tries from Ben Earl and Luke Morahan put Bristol 28-0 up in as many minutes before Alex Dombrandt replied on the stroke of half-time for the shellshocked visitors. Tyrone Green, James Chisholm and Louis Lynagh then crossed in quick succession to cut the gap to 28-24, and Joe Marchant’s late try sent the game into extra time at 31-31. Green and Marchant scored again, either side of Malins’ third, to seal a remarkable win. Four years have passed since then, but it feels like it’s taken until this season for Bristol to put the harrowing defeat behind them.