I know why the rugby authorities had to deduct five points from London Welsh – I understand that the laws have to be upheld.
But, at the same time, it is a huge shame that a team that has achieved so much in the past 12 months may end up being relegated from the Aviva Premiership despite not being the worst team.
London Welsh are at Bath tomorrow, and I would expect Bath to win the game and have another big say on the relegation issue, having lost at Sale a week ago.
Sale beating Bath, coupled the points deduction, means Premiership safety is slipping away from Welsh's grasp – and it is really sad that the actions of one man, the former team manager Mike Scott, could prove the decisive factor in relegating a whole club.
Welsh have brought a different type of rugby to the Premiership, they have brought a breath of fresh air, and I have enjoyed watching them. So it's a cruel twist of fate that one man's misdemeanour could send them down, particularly if those five points prove the difference between relegation and survival. Sale are getting their act together now, so it might not have come to that, but who is to say how much of an impact the whole issue has had on Welsh? That said, I understand why they had to be punished, even if it is incredibly hard on the coaches and players.
This time of the season is a really exciting time – if you have something to play for going into the final straight.
Gloucester are clinging on to their slim hopes of sneaking into the top four of the Premiership, while Bath look like being consigned to a mid-table position.
Perhaps both sides have just lacked that little magic element that is often the difference between the top four and the rest – but Gloucester will hope they can somehow find their way into the play-offs.
They are four points off the top four with four games to go – and, to stand any chance of reaching the semi-finals, they must beat Harlequins at Kingsholm this evening.
This really is a must-win game for Gloucester's semi-final hopes, and, while Quins – who are a fantastic team – are not necessarily the kind of side you want to play in these circumstances, there is always a chance a few of their players are jaded after a tiring Six Nations campaign.
That is not to say Gloucester, on their day, cannot beat Harlequins – but any little extra edge the home side can get will help them in what promises to be a very difficult game.
I played a lot of games alongside Andy Robinson and he is one of the most competitive people I have ever met. So I know that he will be looking at the Championship table and Bristol's run-in and thinking, 'Come on, boys. We've got three games to go, so let's see it as a mini-tournament, get three wins and force our way into the play-offs'.
But he is also a sensible, level-headed coach and will no doubt be keeping one eye on next season, realising that his side are really up against it this time.
They will roll the dice again against Plymouth on Sunday – and that should be a good fixture for Bristol, who I would expect to have too much for Plymouth. But Bristol still have to go to Newcastle, so any hopes of promotion are probably drifting away from them.
