Pure fear will probably elevate Hart to previously unconquered heights but the lack of balance in the back row could

Pure fear will probably elevate Hart to previously unconquered heights, but the lack of balance in the back row could easily cost the champions their title.By way of a warm-up act, Gloucester and Saracens go eyeball to eyeball in pursuit of a place in next season’s Heineken Cup. The West Countrymen are hardened European campaigners, while Saracens are mere Continental occasionals, having not qualified for the ?te tournament since the 2000-01 campaign.If Steve Diamond’s fast-improving side do not see off an orthopaedically challenged Cherry and White outfit on this occasion – in something approaching desperation, Gloucester are trying to get the incapacitated Phil Vickery fit for duty – they may never qualify again.Leicester: S Vesty; G Murphy, O Smith, D Gibson, L Lloyd; A Goode, H Ellis; D Morris, G Chuter, J White, M Johnson (capt), B Kay, L Deacon, N Back, M Corry.Wasps: M Van Gisbergen; P Sackey, A Erinle, J Lewsey, T Voyce; A King, M Dawson; T Payne, P Greening, W Green, S Shaw, R Birkett, J Hart, J Worsley, L Dallaglio (capt).. Two international props, Craig Dowd and Will Green, are playing their final games for the reigning champions, while the director of rugby, Warren Gatland, is preparing to return to his native New Zealand.
Yet before anyone gets too tearful about all this, it is well worth remembering the following: Johnson and Back are to sentiment what the Two Fat Ladies were to dieting, Wells was probably the most competitive flanker never to win a cap for England, Dowd and Gatland are former All Blacks who could ruck a three-legged puppy into the middle of next week and not betray so much as a smidgen of emotion.Which leaves Green, one of the most amiable characters ever to pack down in the front row of a scrum. Martin Johnson, Neil Back and their esteemed coach, John Wells, will be in valedictory mood when the final whistle signals a belated end to the Premiership campaign, and Leicester will be much the poorer for their passing – or in Johnson’s case, lack of passing Wasps will also be losing some heart and soul. There are more scheduled departures at Twickenham this evening than Clapham Junction could manage in a month of Sundays. Karl Pryce’s potential was there for all to see.”The visitors never looked back after Leon Pryce, Karl’s elder brother by five years, stepped off his right foot and inside the close-range defence for a 29th-minute opener, Karl Pryce and Karl Pratt adding further tries as the Bulls built a 16-0 interval lead.Deacon went over twice, sandwiched by Karl Pryce’s second, Rob Parker burst over and Lesley Vainikolo then collected Deacon’s pin-point kick to score just after the hour. The home side, who started the game with the second best defence in the league, conceded further tries to Vainikolo, Karl Pryce and Deacon in the last seven minutes.”It was embarrassing,” said Salford coach Karl Harrison.

“We played well for 30 minutes but the power and pace of the Bulls was second to none and some of their skill levels were sensational. When a team gets a roll-on like that it is very hard to stop.”Salford: Hodgson; Stewart, Littler, McGuinness, Bamford; Beverley, Robinson; Rutgerson, Alker, Stringer, Coley, Sibbit, Charles. Substitutes used: Johnson, Highton, Dickens, Jonkers.Bradford: Reardon; Pratt, Langley, K Pryce, Vainikolo; Harris, Paul; Vagana, Deacon, Fielden, Peacock, Parker, Radford. Substitutes used: L Pryce, Lynch, Smith, Cook.Referee: I Smith (Oldham).. There are no prizes for guessing what they were discussing on the long road home.Hull: Briscoe; Blacklock, Saxton, Yeaman, Raynor; Cooke, Horne; Dowes, King, Thackray, McMenemy, Kearney, Whiting.

Substitutes used: Carvell, Brough, McNicholas, Washbrook.St Helens: Wellens; Albert, Lyon, Gilmour, Gardner; Hooper, Long; Fozzard, Cunningham, Anderson, Wilkin, Bennett, Sculthorpe. Substitutes used: Edmondson, Higham, Mason, Fa’Asvalu.Referee: K Kirkpatrick (Warrington)* Leeds ran in 11 tries at the Coliseum to thrash relegation-threatened Leigh 60-4 last night with Mark Calderwood leading the way with three tries.. BradfordBulls looked like a side coming back into form as they swept Salford aside in a glorious spell of attacking play that yielded eight tries in 32 minutes either side of the interval. “The magnifying glass was on us after the Hull defeat and we set our stall out to do the best we can in every game till the end of the season,” said Bradford coach Brian Noble.”The reality for us now is Super League and it was our most clinical performance of the year. “They are professional, they are proud people and they will have prepared very well, but that was a very special performance from us tonight.”Dave Rotheram, the Saints’ stand-in coach, also insisted that there had been nothing wrong with his side’s effort, although that was not always the way it looked.

Hull did the directors who decided this week to sack Ian Millward no favours whatsoever with a performance that made Saints look like a team with its heart ripped out. Wakefield are still without David Solomona and Chris Feather, but have Colum Halpenny back in contention.The Widnes coach Frank Endacott has set his team the task of winning half their remaining games to save themselves from relegation.”I said from day one we would have to win 10 games and I haven’t changed that, so we need another eight from 16,” he said “We see this as a four-pointer”. Danny Williams is suspended for one match for a high tackle, but the Broncos have Anthony Armour available to replace him on the bench.Huddersfield include Hefin O’Hare and Stuart Donlan, although both are regarded as doubtful, and they will also give late fitness tests to Chris Thorman and Stanley Gene.At the foot of the table, Widnes badly need to make up ground by winning at Wakefield tomorrow night. Gary Connolly is back from his honeymoon and three experienced forwards – Terry O’Connor, Mick Cassidy and John Stankevitch – are recalled after being rested for last week’s Challenge Cup victory at Barrow.