By Sparkie
May 30 2003

So Wasps and Gloucester are all set to scrap out the first ever sudden death knockout decider for the Zurich Championship. Traditionalists will have already crowned Gloucester as champions and, traditionally, the top team in the league always carried off the silverware. Not this season though... As Chris Tarrant gleefully says in "Who wants to be a Millionaire?", so the top brass organising the league are saying "We don't want to give you that!...[here's something twice as good.]" Premier Rugby Ltd and the title sponsors, Zurich, decided last summer that the public need re-edumacating. Instead of stealing a march on our RL brothers and awarding a gong to both both the league champions and the playoff winners, they missed out on an obvious win-win situation. The RL honchos will keep their innovative lead by doing just that later this summer, after having a similar winner-takes-all playoff final since the mid 1990s.

"Why have playoffs at all?" we all ask. Surely a league structure with a full programme of 22 matches is enough to decide the best team in the land each season? Silly question. Sponsors need a triumphal climax and a to the season, hence a playoff. Having slimmed it down from eight to three clubs they have avoided the worst case scenario: eighth-placed daylight robbery -- as Bristol almost achieved last year when it didn't matter. This year it does although I for one don't think it will be a climactic triumph. Let's have two trophies for two Zurich competitions.

Look at Bristol now. Last year's second seeds in Europe relegated in a tight contest at the bottom. A depression caused by a disgruntled owner from which they could not escape. Zurich need to slim down the wildcard too and hold both finals at HQ, televised by the same broadcaster.

As for the game. Gloucesterites seem anxious and why shouldn't they be. Waspies are sympathetic but not that sympathetic. All for one and one for all.

London Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen; 14 Josh Lewsey, 13 Fraser Waters, 12 Stuart Abbott, 11 Kenny Logan; 10 Alex King, 9 Rob Howley; 1 Craig Dowd, 2 Trevor Leota, 3 Will Green, 4 Simon Shaw, 5 Richard Birkett, 6 Joe Worsley, 7 Paul Volley, 8 Lawrence Dallaglio (Capt.)

Bench: 16 Martyn Wood, 17 Phil Greening, 18 Mark Denney, 19 Ayoola Erinle, 20 Mark Lock, 21 Peter Scrivener, 22 Alistair McKenzie.

Gloucester (probable): T Delport; M Garvey, T Fanolua, H Paul, J Simpson-Daniel; L Mercier, A Gomarsall; T Woodman, O Azam, P Vickery (capt), A Eustace, M Cornwell, J Boer (capt), A Hazell, J Paramore.

Related links: The Beeb | HQ Survival Guide - take your Factor 30 sunblock.