It is now 10 years since Newcastle travelled to Wasps, needing to win by 24 points to leapfrog their opponents at the foot of the table and avoid relegation on the final day of the season. Ultimately, the Falcons edged a four-point win, going down to the Championship swinging while Wasps narrowly avoided falling into the abyss. It was not a classic but for tension you couldn’t beat it and it is worth noting it was one of the rare occasions when Wasps attracted a capacity crowd in High Wycombe.
A decade on and a cursory glance at both the table and the fixture list suggests that Worcester’s home match against Bath on Saturday should be similarly dramatic. All roads really should be leading to Sixways but with relegation on pause until at least the summer of 2024, Worcester and Bath will play out a dead rubber. The sense of apathy is palpable and not just because Bath have recently been giving the impression they have already clocked off for the summer.
