Sunday 18th May
London Wasps v Bath Rugby (Adams Park, 2pm) Live on
Gloucester Rugby v Leicester Tigers (Kingsholm, 4.30pm) Live on

SEMI-FINAL PREVIEWS

London Wasps v Bath Rugby

HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT PREMIERSHIP MEETINGS
20/11/05 - London Wasps 28-20 Bath Rugby
28/01/06 - Bath Rugby 28-16 London Wasps
12/11/06 - London Wasps 47-18 Bath Rugby
01/01/07 - Bath Rugby 30-19 London Wasps
29/12/07 - London Wasps 25-10 Bath Rugby
16/02/08 - Bath Rugby 34-42 London Wasps

London Wasps’ only defeat in the Guinness Premiership since the end of January was 17-25 at home to Gloucester on 4 May.
Wasps have suffered only one other defeat at Adams Park this season: 17-20 to Leicester on 30 September. The Londoners lost their last Premiership semi-final 12-22 at Sale Sharks in May 2006.

Bath Rugby have made it to the playoffs for the first time since they topped the league table in season 2003/04. Bath’s 6-8 defeat at Gloucester ended a five game winning run in all competitions. Bath have won just one of their last four away encounters in the Guinness Premiership: 23-20 at Worcester on 19 April.

London Wasps achieved a Guinness Premiership regular season double over Bath this season for the first time since 2001/02.
Bath have lost on their last three visits to Adams Park, since a 12-9 victory in the Premiership on 29 January 2005.

GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP MEETINGS IN 2007/08

29 DECEMBER 2007 - LONDON WASPS (20) 25, BATH RUGBY (0) 10 (Adams Park)

London Wasps: Josh Lewsey; Paul Sackey(2T), Fraser Waters, Riki Flutey, Tom Voyce; Danny Cipriani(2C, 2PG), Eoin Reddan; Tom French, Joe Ward, Phil Vickery; Simon Shaw, George Skivington; Dan Leo, Rob Webber(1T), Lawrence Dallaglio (capt).

Bench: James Buckland, Michael Holford, Tom Palmer, Richard Birkett, Mark McMillan, Dominic Waldouck, Mark Van Gisbergen.

Replacements used: Holford for Vickery 18, Van Gisbergen for Voyce 48, Palmer for Shaw 54, Birkett for Leo 55, McMillan for Reddan 61, Buckland for Ward 61, Waldouck for Cipriani 76.

Bath Rugby: Nick Abendanon; Joe Maddock(1T), Tom Cheeseman, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, Michael Stephenson; Shaun Berne (capt), Nick Walshe; David Barnes, Pieter Dixon, Lorne Ward; Martin Purdy, Danny Grewcock (sin bin 35-46); Peter Short, James Scaysbrook, Jonny Fa'amatuainu.

Bench: Rob Hawkins, Paulica Ion, Steve Borthwick, Chris Goodman, Zak Feau'nati, Mike Baxter, Olly Barkley(1C, 1PG).

Replacements used: Barkley for Cheeseman 8, Borthwick for Purdy 34, Ion for Ward 41, Goodman for Short 57, Feau'nati for Scaysbrook 63, Hawkins for Dixon 63, Baxter for Walshe 76.

Scoring sequence: 2' Cipriani (PG) 3-0, 4' Webber (T) 8-0, Cipriani (C) 10-0, 24' Sackey (T) 15-0, Cipriani (C) 17-0, 37' Cipriani (PG) 20-0, 46' Barkley (PG) 20-3, 52' Sackey (T) 25-3, 70' Maddock (T) 25-8, Barkley (C) 25-10.

Referee: Rob Debney (England)

Attendance: 10000.

16 FEBRUARY 2008 - BATH RUGBY (20) 34, LONDON WASPS (13) 42 (Recreation Ground)

Bath Rugby: Nick Abendanon(1T); Joe Maddock, Alex Crockett (capt), Olly Barkley(4C, 2PG), Andrew Higgins(1T); Shaun Berne, Michael Claassens; David Barnes, Lee Mears, Matt Stevens; Peter Short, Danny Grewcock; Andy Beattie, Michael Lipman, Zak Feau'nati.

Bench: Pieter Dixon, Aaron Jarvis, Daniel Browne(1T), Jonny Fa'amatuainu, Mike Baxter, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu(1T), Matthew Banahan.

Replacements used: Banahan for Maddock 54, Fa'amatuainu for Beattie 54, Browne for Feau'nati 54, Dixon for Mears 59, Fuimaono-Sapolu for Berne 60, Jarvis for Stevens 77.

London Wasps: Josh Lewsey(2T); Rob Hoadley, Fraser Waters, Dominic Waldouck, David Doherty; Danny Cipriani(1T, 4C, 3PG), Mark McMillan; Tim Payne, Joe Ward, Phil Vickery; Simon Shaw, Tom Palmer; James Haskell(1T), Joe Worsley, John Hart (capt).

Bench: James Buckland, Nick Adams, Dan Leo(1T), Rob Webber, Eoin Reddan, Dave Walder, Mark Van Gisbergen.

Replacements used: Van Gisbergen for Hoadley 20, Leo for Shaw 56, Buckland for Ward 66, Webber for Worsley 69, Reddan for McMillan 69, Adams for Vickery 76, Walder for Cipriani 78.

Scoring sequence: 3' Barkley (PG) 3-0, 6' Higgins (T) 8-0, Barkley (C) 10-0, 10' Cipriani (PG) 10-3, 16' Cipriani (T) 10-8, Cipriani (C) 10-10, 28' Barkley (PG) 13-10, 31' Cipriani (PG) 13-13, 40' Abendanon (T) 18-13, Barkley (C) 20-13, 42' Haskell (T) 20-18, Cipriani (C) 20-20, 48' Lewsey (T) 20-25, 50' Cipriani (PG) 20-28, 56' Lewsey (T) 20-33, Cipriani (C) 20-35, 68' Fuimaono-Sapolu (T) 25-35, Barkley (C) 27-35, 73' Leo (T) 27-40, Cipriani (C) 27-42, 78' Browne (T) 32-42, Barkley (C) 34-42.

Referee: Rob Debney (England)

Attendance: 10600.

Gloucester Rugby v Leicester Tigers

HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT PREMIERSHIP MEETINGS
10/02/06 - Gloucester 34-16 Leicester Tigers
16/09/06 - Leicester Tigers 27-27 Gloucester
11/03/07 - Gloucester 28-24 Leicester Tigers
12/05/07 - Leicester Tigers 44-16 Gloucester (Final)
06/10/07 - Leicetser Tigers 17-30 Gloucester
09/02/08 - Gloucester 13-20 Leicester Tigers

Gloucester Rugby topped the Guinness Premiership table for the 3rd time in the past six seasons and are also the best home side in the competition. The only team to defeat Gloucester in the Premiership at Kingsholm this season was today’s opponents Leicester on 9 February. Gloucester have won six of their last seven semi-final matches in all competitions.

Leicester Tigers have reached the playoffs for the 4th successive season, but have lost their last four away matches in the Guinness Premiership since winning at Kingsholm in February. The Tigers have won their last five semi-final encounters in all competitions.

The two contenders from last season’s Guinness Premiership final at Twickenham have clashed twice in the Premiership this season with each winning a game on opposing soil.

GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP MEETINGS IN 2007/08

6 OCTOBER 2007 - LEICESTER TIGERS (3) 17, GLOUCESTER RUGBY (20) 30 (Welford Road)

Leicester Tigers: Geordan Murphy; Johne Murphy, Ollie Smith, Matt Cornwell(1T), Tom Varndell; Andy Goode(1PG), Frank Murphy; Alex Moreno, Benjamin Kayser, Julian White; Louis Deacon (capt), Marco Wentzel; Brett Deacon, Luke Abraham, Jordan Crane.

Bench: Mefin Davies, Martin Castrogiovanni, Richard Blaze, Tom Croft(1T), Ben Youngs, Paul Burke(2C), Ayoola Erinle.

Replacements used: Burke for Goode 41, Castrogiovanni for Moreno 41, Erinle for Smith 56, Croft for B.Deacon 58, Davies for Kayser 61, B.Youngs for F.Murphy 66.

Gloucester Rugby: Olly Morgan; Leon Lloyd(1T), Mike Tindall, Anthony Allen, James Bailey; Willie Walker(1T, 3C, 3PG), Mike Prendergast; Patrice Collazo, Olivier Azam, Carlos Nieto; Peter Buxton (capt), Alex Brown; Alasdair Strokosch, Andy Hazell, Luke Narraway.

Bench: Andy Titterrell, Christian Califano, Nick Wood, Will James, Gareth Cooper, Ryan Lamb, Mark Foster. Penalty Try:1.

Replacements used: W.James for Hazell 33, Cooper for Prendergast 51, Wood for Collazo 56, Foster for Allen 60, Titterrell for Azam 71, Califano for Nieto 76.

Scoring sequence: 4' Lloyd (T) 0-5, Walker (C) 0-7, 14' Goode (PG) 3-7, 18' Walker (PG) 3-10, 23' Penalty Try (T) 3-15, Walker (C) 3-17, 32' Walker (PG) 3-20, 50' Walker (PG) 3-23, 70' Croft (T) 8-23, Burke (C) 10-23, 73' Walker (T) 10-28, Walker (C) 10-30, 79' Cornwell (T) 15-30, Burke (C) 17-30.

Referee: Roy Maybank (England)

Attendance: 17101.

9 FEBRUARY 2008 - GLOUCESTER RUGBY (3) 13, LEICESTER TIGERS (7) 20 (Kingsholm)
Gloucester Rugby: James Bailey; James Simpson-Daniel, Jack Adams, Anthony Allen, Mark Foster; Willie Walker(1C, 2PG), Rory Lawson; Nick Wood, Olivier Azam(1T), Jack Forster; Peter Buxton (capt), Will James (sin bin 37); Alasdair Strokosch, Andy Hazell, Adam Balding.

Bench: Jeremy Paul, Alasdair Dickinson, Jonathan Pendlebury, Andy Titterrell, Gareth Cooper, Ali James (sin bin -47), Charlie Sharples.

Replacements used: Cooper for Lawson 54, Paul for Azam 56, Pendlebury for Balding 66, Dickinson for Forster 73, James for Adams 73.

Leicester Tigers: Johne Murphy; Tom Varndell, Ayoola Erinle(1T), Aaron Mauger, Ollie Smith(1T); Andy Goode(2C, 2PG), Christophe Laussucq; Marcos Ayerza, George Chuter, Alex Moreno; Tom Croft, Marco Wentzel; Martin Corry (capt), Ben Herring (sin bin 37-47) (sent off 79), Jordan Crane.

Bench: Benjamin Kayser, David Young, Greg Gillanders, Brett Deacon, Frank Murphy, Ian Humphreys, Sam Vesty.

Replacements used: B.Deacon for Wentzel 12, Kayser for Chuter 56.

Scoring sequence: 34' O.Smith (T) 0-5, Goode (C) 0-7, 40' Walker (PG) 3-7, 48' Azam (T) 8-7, Walker (C) 10-7, 54' Goode (PG) 10-10, 62' Walker (PG) 13-10, 65' Goode (PG) 13-13, 67' Erinle (T) 13-18, Goode (C) 13-20.

Referee: Tony Spreadbury (England)

Attendance: 12597.

GUINNESS FACT BOX
• Simon Shaw became the first player to appear in 200 Premiership matches when he appeared for London Wasps at Leeds Carnegie on Saturday.
• 603 tries were scored in the 132 Premiership matches this season - the best try tally since 616 were scored in season 2000/01.
• Harlequins set a new Premiership record for the most bonus points in a season. Quins tallied an incredible 15 such points (7 try and 8 losing), eclipsing the mark set by Bath in 2000/01 and equalled by Leicester last season.
• Wasps tally of 67 tries is the best by a team in a Premiership season since Leicester scored 75 in 2004/05.
• Olly Barkley has successfully landed his last 15 kicks at goal in the Guinness Premiership –his last miss was a conversion at Worcester on 19 April.