Clermont v La Rochelle
European Challenge Cup Final – 7.45 pm
BT Sport
The European Challenge Cup is on the line for these two on Friday night. Clermont go as the 4/9 odds-on favourites with leading bookmakers to collect the victory. They are sitting in second place there behind Toulouse with two to play. So they could be on for a huge double this season. While they have won their last two, it hasn’t quite gone all their way, winning just two of their last four domestic games (D1 L1).
Clermont were the topped ranked team in this European Challenge Cup after the Pool stage. They then moved past two English opponents, Northampton and Harlequins in the quarter and semi-final respectively. As for La Rochelle, they are heading for a top-six league finish and their route to the final of the Challenge Cup took them past two English teams as well. They knocked out the Bristol Bears and then got the better of Sale in the quarter finals by a narrow margin.
Back in October La Rochelle hosted Clermont and took a 16-12 success over them in the Top 14. Clermont however, got some pretty heavy revenge when they hosted them in the reverse fixture in early January, putting a massive 44-19 victory on the board. These two teams were the top-two try scorers in the Pool stage of the European Challenge Cup this season. Clermont have the try-scoring threat of Peter Betham, while La Rochelle have Ihaia West and Maxime Lafage as their big threats. La Rochelle are 15/8 underdogs to pull off the success. Clermont have won the title twice before, La Rochelle are looking for their first.
Tranmere v Forest Green
League Two Play-Off – 7.30 pm
Sky Sports
The League Two playoffs start on Friday night with this clash from Prenton Park. Tranmere sort of stumbled towards the finish line in the regular season, winning just one of their last seven games of the term. They did not get one in any of their last four. But they were a powerful home side throughout the course of the season. They were on a five-match winning streak of form (conceding a goal in the process) at home before taking just one point from their final two. It’s that kind of momentum which they need to get back for the first leg of this tie.
Forest Green are doing better in terms of momentum with four wins in their last six games (D1 L1). They have been in a bit of a beast mode out on the road as well with a W4 L1 record in their last five road fixtures. This is the thing about Rovers, they produced more wins away from home this season than they did on home turf. So they could be a threat, even though they are kicking off as 13/5 underdogs. Forest Green Rovers have won their last three away games at Prenton Park to boot and will have their backing as potentially one of the best bets of the day.
Aberdeen v Hearts
Scottish Premiership – 7.45 pm
BT Sport
It is the final weekend of the Scottish top flight action and this will be the last opportunity then for Aberdeen to get themselves a top three finish. The Dons have hit the skids in the last two rounds, suffering back to back defeats in tough games against Rangers and Celtic. Aberdeen failed to get themselves on the scoreboard in either of those. That was their third defeat in six which has allowed Kilmarnock to edge past them into third place on goal difference. Aberdeen are 8/11 favourites with leading bookmakers to get the win in this one.
Hearts have been having a terrible time of things lately with just the one point collected in their last five games. Their away form has been pretty poor since the middle of February really, suffering three defeats in their last five out on the road (W1 D1). It’s been just the seven away wins from 17 road fixtures for them this season. Of their eight away defeats suffered, six of them were by a two-goal margin. Will they be suffering some more away day blues in this one? They are at 17/4 odds to produce three points which would ensure that they don’t drop down in the standings.
