Saracens booked a home rugby union Premiership play-off semi-final with a 35-12 victory over Gloucester on Sunday.

South African duo Schalk Brits and Ernst Joubert ran in first-half tries for Sarries, with prop Matthew Stevens and winger David Strettle crossing after the break.

James Simpson-Daniel and Henry Trinder scored tries for Gloucester, but they couldn't stop Saracens gaining a pyschological advantage over the team most likely to be their opponents in the play-offs on May 15.

The victory was Saracens' ninth on the trot and moved them within a point of Leicester at the top of the table.

Harlequins kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the European Cup via a top-six finish with a 38-3 win over struggling Leeds at Headingley.

Quins, who have an Challenge Cup semi-final at Munster looming next week, can reach Europe's premier club competition by winning the second-tier tournament, or by passing Bath or London Irish in the Premiership table.

Leeds now need at least a bonus point from their trip to Northampton to have any chance of staying up, and even then they require Newcastle to not take anything from their two remaining games against Bath.

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