Playoff Semi final line up is complete

Semi final venue
By Duncan Wood
May 19 2002

The two remaining quarter finals were played today and the semi final lineup is complete. Bristol's victory over Leicester has guaranteed them a home tie, something which hasn't gone down well in Northampton.

So, after this weekend's quarter finals, it's going to be Bristol vs Northampton on June 1st and Sale Sharks against Gloucester on June 2nd. Those fixture dates are taken from the official Zurich site so I'm trusting that they're right.

Bristol's reward for going up to Leicester and becoming the first English side to win there since December 1997 is a home semi final against Northampton.

Now, with two weeks to go, this has already caused controversy. Within hours of Northampton clinching their place, Wayne Smith was on the warpath:

"How can the fifth-placed team now play at the eighth team's ground? Do Monty Python set up this structure?"

"I can't understand the structure," Smith said. "Maybe we would have been better off finishing eighth, playing against a team that didn't want to play in this competition, and then get a home semi-final."

"We deserve to play at Franklin's Gardens in the semi-finals. We will go to Bristol and give it everything, but home advantage is a huge advantage in the semi-finals."

Now, Smith didn't of course point out that one of the main reasons for Northampton being in the semi finals was that London Irish (who demolished the Saints in the recent Powergen final) fielded a virtual second team. So, it's ok for you to beat a weakened team but not Bristol eh Wayne?

Bristol were cheated out of a home semi final in the Tetleys Cup in 2 years ago when they were drawn first out of the hat to face Wasps. The semi finals were played that year as a double header at the Madejski Stadium and we lost crucial home advantage as a result. Maybe this evens things up a bit?

There is going to be plenty of talking before the game itself. In the meantime. let's content ourselves with enjoying the quarter final victory and looking forward to the next game.