Rugby Union: Lion-hearted Bath go hunting a hat-trick: Barrie Fairall on today's final Courage Clubs' Championship programme which will bring more heartbreak than happiness

IT may have seemed a hard slog, but it is going to be much harder next time around and as a league season of more downs than ups draws to a close this afternoon the number of farewells should keep rugby bars busy until closing time. Yes, come the evening and one imagines the most repeated question around the clubs will run something like: 'Was there really any need for all this?'

In which case they have left it a bit late because the Senior Clubs' Association asked for what it has got. In future, instead of a dozen matches in the national divisions there will be 18 on a home and away basis and as the headline says in the Courage handbook: 'Three into four must go]'

Small wonder they added the exclamation mark because, in transforming three leagues of 13 into four of 10 and retaining one promotion spot, the blood spilt makes a gruesome picture. So four sides are relegated from the First, seven from the Second and eight from the Third.

At least some things never change. Bath, for example, can complete a hat- trick of titles by winning at Saracens today and have secured the release of their Lions - Stuart Barnes, Jeremy Guscott, Ben Clarke and Andy Reid - from tour training.

After all, one of Bath's three league defeats in 1989-90 - the season in which Wasps snatched the prize - came at Southgate. 'My brother Sean kicked the winning conversion,' Andy Robinson, the Bath captain, said, 'and although he's not playing this time we're not taking any chances because it would be just like Saracens to have one last fling.'

Robinson, who is giving up the captaincy at the end of term, probably to John Hall, was referring to the fact that Sarries - together with Scottish, West Hartlepool and Rugby - are already over the edge and that Wasps, who would need to beat Bristol at home, would applaud the slip that gave them the Courage silverware.

Wasps have also sought the release of Rob Andrew, their Lion, for the match and assume he will be playing. 'Well, he's been selected but he's been abroad all week and we haven't heard from him,' Paul Bishop, the club's team secretary, said.

Lighthearted stuff and in complete contrast to events at Harlequins, where Andrew Harriman and the club have parted acrimonously. Harriman, who led England into sevens heaven in Edinburgh last week, had been hoping to sign off his Quins career in the Pilkington Cup final at Twickenham today week. But Jamie Salmon, team manager, said: 'He hasn't turned up for training and as far as we're concerned he's not available.'

As for the downs and ups, Sale, Moseley, Bedford and Richmond scrap over two places in order to stay in the Second while promotion is between Newcastle Gosforth and Waterloo. In the Third, Redruth, Sheffield and Leeds are fighting for fourth place and salvation, while Havant and Otley are the promotion candidates.