Gallagher Premiership Weekend Preview: Your ultimate guide to Round 25 as the play-off race hots up

Premiership rugby is back on the menu this weekend after a fortnight hiatus as the race for the play-offs hots up!

We've reached the penultimate weekend in the regular season with just two rounds remaining in what has been one of the most unpredictable campaigns in living memory.

With another intriguing weekend of domestic drama in store, read on for a previews, including live stream information for our televised matches.

Saturday 21 May

Harlequins vs Gloucester - 2pm, BT Sport 2HD

Watch live stream from 2pm

Third plays fifth in the first part of a BT Sport double header on Saturday afternoon as defending champions Harlequins take on title challengers Gloucester at Twickenham Stadium.

Holders Quins are all-but guaranteed a place in the play-offs with a six-point cushion to Northampton in fourth.

But defeat to nearest rivals Northampton last time out means the Londonders still need a result from their final two games to extend their season and book their place in the semis.

Quins will be hoping they can extend their unbeaten record at HQ to six games, with their last defeat at Twickenham coming back in 2017.

Meanwhile Gloucester kept the pressure up on fourth-placed Northampton back in round 23 with a club-record win over Bath.

The Cherry and Whites put 64 unanswered points on their West Country rivals to end a three-game losing streak and remain in touch with Saints.

Glos are without a win in their last seven visits to Twickenham Stadium, with their last victory coming in the final of the Powergen Cup back in 2003.

Having had their hopes of European glory end in knockout heartbreak, both sides are fully focussed on domestic duties as the league season reaches its thrilling creciendo.

Bath vs London Irish - 3pm kick-off

The Rec's scoreboard could be in for a long afternoon on Saturday as rock-bottom Bath entertain free-scoring London Irish.

Bath's pitiful campaign plummed new depths back in round 24 as they shipped 64 points to bitter local rivals Gloucester. 

The six-time English league champions conceded a club-record 10 tries without laying a glove on Gloucester to leave Bath rooted to the bottom of the pile, one point adrift of 12th-placed Worcester. 

It was a shambolic showing from Bath's beleagured brigade and out-going director of rugby Stuart Hooper will be demanding an immediate response in their final home game from a season to forget. 

Meanwhile visitors London Irish will be hoping they can pile on the points as they look to stay in the hunt for the semi-finals.

Round 24 saw the Exiles produce another remarkable fightback as they overcame a 25-point second-half deficit to rescue a draw with Wasps at the Brentford Community Stadium.

A trio of tries from Irish's talented academy graduates Tom Pearson, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Henry Arundell helped Irish snatch a 42-42 draw that leaves them seven points off fourth with three teams between them and Northampton.

But Irish will have to pick themselves up off the floor after losing the Premiership Rugby Cup in extra-time on Tuesday evening.

Having kicked 20 points in normal time, fly-half Paddy Jackson missed three penalties as Worcester Warriors prevailed on tries scored after the match finished 25-25.

Newcastle Falcons vs Leicester Tigers - 3pm kick-off

Newcastle Falcons entertain league leaders Leicester Tigers in the 'Dean Richards derby' on Saturday afternoon as the veteran director of rugby faces off against his old side in his penultimate game in charge at Kingston Park.

Richards played 314 games as a Tiger between 1982 and 1997.

As head coach he led the club to the Premiership title and two Heineken Cups before ending his 23-year association with the club in 2004.

Now the 58-year-old is stepping down as Falcons boss at the end of the season after over a decade in charge, making this weekend's match an emotional farewell to Kingston Park.

Visitors Leicester are in Premiership action for the first time since they battered Bristol to secure their first home semi-final since 2013.

The game also saw winger Chris Ashton become the Premiership's all-time leading try-scorer with a hat-trick in the 56-26 rout. 

Heineken Cup quarter-final heartbreak at the hands of four-time winners Leinster followed a week later and Steve Borthwick will be keen to re-focus minds and bodies as Tigers resume their quest for a first league title for nine years this weekend.

Saracens vs Northampton Saints - 4.30pm, BT Sport 2HD

Watch live stream from 4.30pm

Round 25 concludes with a potential dress rehearsal for the last four as Saracens welcome Northampton Saints to the StoneX Stadium.

Saracens are currently on course to meet holders Harlequins in the semi-finals but all that could change in the final two weeks of the season.

Northampton could still leapfrog Quins into third while Sarries are only four points off pacesetters Leicester. 

Four-time Premiership champions Sarries are gunning for a 17th win of the campaign that would ensure a home semi-final, while visitors Northampton cannot afford any slip ups with top-four rivals Gloucester breathing down their necks. 

While Saints will be well rested after a fortnight off from action, Saracens resume domestic duties after a bruising EPCR Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Toulon last weekend. 

The three-time Heineken Cup winners struggled to match Toulon's ferocious intensity and director of rugby Mark McCall hopes his side can take lessons from defeat as they target Premiership glory in their first season back in the top flight.

"We need to see what we can learn from it," said McCall. 

"We've got four or five weeks left of the season, and we can get something from this experience and take it into the rest of the Premiership season."