DRESS REHEARSAL? BATH V TIGERS

It is a fact universally acknowledged that the home teams in the play-off semi-finals nearly always wins. In the last, nine seasons only one of the eighteen semi-finals has gone the way of the visitors - and that was Harlequins' Harry Houdini act at Ashton Gate in 2021.Bath, of course, have had their home semi-final locked in for a few weeks already. Tigers are all but guaranteed theirs too. Given they host Newcastle in Round 18, they should finish on a minimum of 61 points. That is almost certainly sufficient - and will definitely be should Bristol fail to beat Sale with a bonus point on Friday night.So where does that leave this Saturday's match? Is it a dead rubber, a box to ticked off before the knockouts commence? Or is it a dress rehearsal for Twickenham in four weeks' time?