Like an Agatha Christie novel, the Guinness Premiership looks set to unravel right at the very end of the season with both the play-off places and relegation issues delicately poised.
At the bottom of the table, all of the relegation candidates have been thumped recently; Worcester at Sale, Sale at home to Saracens, and Leeds away at Harlequins last weekend. If you want to include Newcastle in the relegation cast, Saracens gave them a whipping at the end of last month, too. And it is Brendon Venter's men that steal the show this weekend in their live clash with Harlequins at Wembley Stadium.
Ever since Venter took his squad for a break away in Brighton at the end of last month, the Men in Black have played with a freedom and vivacity that was absent at the start of the season. Saracens were like an automaton during the early rounds, kicking for position and grinding the opposition down. But players like Andy Saull and Alex Goode have flourished in the past few weeks, and Saracens look better than at any point during this long campaign.
It is a considerable concern for Harlequins coach John Kingston, who has seemingly got his side back on track with three wins from their last four outings. If you look at those victories though, they were against teams locked in the relegation dogfight, and the last time these sides clashed in the league Saracens beat Quins 22-9 at The Stoop.
Saracens must cede a few points advantage for staging the match at Wembley rather than at Vicarage Road, and it is not as if they have run out ready winners in any of the three matches that they have played there this season. Venter's men displayed high-class form in beating Northampton 19-16 there in Round Two and South Africa 24-23 in November, but Worcester pushed them very close in February losing 25-20.
Despite their sizable victory against Leeds last week, Harlequins struggled markedly to overcome Newcastle at home, and Bath completely dismantled them at the Recreation Ground as recently as last month. Sarries look a worthy wager to win narrowly once again, and winning margin punters should seriously consider Saracens to score by 1-12 points.
It was interesting to note coach Neil Back's post-match analysis as to why his side were beaten 46-11 by Harlequins last week. Back was concerned that his troops were trying too hard, much like Martin Johnson's England side, and that this had made them stodgy. But Back elaborated on his side's deficiencies, highlighting that they had been undone by Harlequins' pace.
The basement side take on London Irish this weekend, and the Exiles are a team that love nothing more than spreading teams wide only to scythe through them with pace and power. Irish have scored 37 tries this season - second only to Gloucester - and they will look to their wide men in an effort to stretch their lowly opponents.
Back was optimistic that he would be able to galvanise Leeds before this crucial contest, saying: "The pain that the squad will feel from that defeat is a positive. When you've felt that hurt, you don't want to feel it again." But the fact remains that Leeds have felt that pain time and again this season, losing the most matches out of any team in the section.
London Irish sit just three points above Wasps in fourth - the last play-off place - and Toby Booth's side will not ease up on the accelerator as they need the bonus point. London Irish look a decent handicap punt.