Leicester prove too strong for Saracens in entertaining Prem Rugby encounter

Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live coverage of today’s Prem match between Leicester and Saracens at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

After a dramatic weekend of league action, today’s match could be the most critical of any in terms of the race to the top four. And yet, neither of these two sides, even with a bonus-point victory today, can finish the weekend in the play-off spots, but the victor will certainly remain in the hunt, pressurising the leading quartet.

Leicester return to their Welford Road fortress after a disappointing 24-10 defeat to high-flying Exeter brought their four-match win streak to an end, while Saracens, after three defeats on the bounce, defeated Gloucester at Kingsholm.

But, ahead of kick-off today, both teams sit seven points behind Bristol in fourth, after the Bears’ comeback victory against Sale on Friday night kept them in the play-off spots. Bonus-point wins for Bath and Northampton meant that they took control of the home play-off places while two losing bonus points for Exeter kept them third. In terms of those chasing the top four, this was not an auspicious weekend of results, with three teams claiming a maximum five points and another clinching two bonus points in defeat.

Still, both sides will fancy their chances in a game that, before kick-off, looks too close to call. Saracens may well have the edge among the replacements but Leicester, at home, should never be written off.

Indeed, that was the message from the visiting fly-half, Fergus Burke, this week.

“We know how difficult it is to go to Leicester and get a result,” Burke said. “They are physical, organised and very strong at home. We have taken confidence from last weekend but we will need to be even better to start the year the way we want to.”

All the confirmed line-ups and team news is next!