London Irish have had a dire season following last year's cup win

The basement teams have up to three matches left to guarantee their safety in the top flight.

The Rugby Football Union has still to decide if the bottom team will be relegated.

Zinzan Brooke: Relegation rattles the nerves

But if it does, any one of five sides could tumble out of the elite at a time when bonus points will be like gold dust.

BBC Sport looks at the prospects of the relegation contenders.

Bristol

Bristol's heavy defeat at home to Wasps on Sunday dropped them to the foot of the table and left the West Country side in real trouble.

To play: Saracens (A) Bath (H) London Irish (A) Current place: 12th

Their three remaining matches are all against fellow strugglers, with two of them on the road, and even their home game against Bath is at Ashton Gate, which is effectively a neutral venue.

The club has major financial troubles off the field and relegation would be a disaster, and with the players future's looking uncertain the chances of them performing at their best must be remote.

Saracens, with a home game against the Shoguns still to come, have a difficult run-in.

To play: Bristol (H) Newcastle (A) Sale (H) Current place: 9th

Their recent defeat to fellow strugglers London Irish was a huge blow to their cause and things could get even worse with an away trip to Sale - Gloucester's only realistic challenger for the title - yet to come.

The tie with fellow scrappers Newcastle could prove decisive to both sides.

The Falcons proved that they are the form side among the relegation strugglers with a 22-20 win at home to Northampton on Sunday.

To play: Saracens (H) Bath (A) Current place: 8th

That win lifted them four places - and four points - away from the relegation spot, and although they only have two matches left they are both against fellow relegation contenders.

A win at home to Saracens would go a long way to securing survival and they may be safe before the tricky trip to Bath.

The West country giants stand perilously close to the drop, and needed a dramatic win over London Irish to lift themselves off the bottom.

To play: Bristol (A) Newcastle (H) Current place: 10th

Their win was not convincing and they have injury concerns galore, but they may fancy their chances of getting a result against Bristol and Newcastle.

For the former league, cup and European champions to preserve their status, star names such as England's Danny Grewcock and Mike Tindall and Ireland's Kevin Maggs need to show their class.

Sunday's disappointing home defeat by Leeds, coming on the back of their dramatic last-gasp defeat by Bath, mean the Exiles are level on points with bottom club Bristol, having played a game more.

To play: Leicester (A) Bristol (H) Current place: 11th

Bristol's dire form means that game in hand may not be important, but their last match will most certainly be.

In a quirky bit of scheduling the bottom two will play each other at the Madejski Stadium, and it could well be that whoever loses that match will find themselves relegated.