Sale Sharks vs Northampton Saints
Kickoff: 7:45pm Friday, TNT Sports
Team news
Sale Sharks
1.Rodd 2.Cowan-Dickie 3.Opoku-Fudjour 4.Bamber 5.Hill
6.Van Rhyn 7.T.Curry 8.J-L Du Preez 9.Warr 10.Ford
11.O'Flaherty 12.Bedlow 13.R.Du Preez 14.Roebuck 15.Carpenter
16.McElroy 17.McIntyre 18.John 19.Andrews
20.Dugdale 21.Thomas 22.Addison 23.Reed
Northampton
1.Iyogun 2.C.Langdon 3.Davison 4.Munga 5.Coles
6.Kemeny 7.Scott-Young 8.Pollock 9.Mitchell 10.James
11.Hendy 12.Dingwall(C) 13.Odendaal 14.Freeman 15.Ramm
16.Walker 17.Haffar 18.Green 19.Mayanavanu
20.Augustus 21.Pearson 22.Weimann 23.Litchfield
Northampton travel north knowing they have no option but to win in order to keep their season alive. Sale, on the other hand, find themselves in a strong position and ready to make a push for the top four spots. Northampton will have to win without Fin Smith who is resting. The fly-half looked tired last week in a dismal display against their rivals and will hope to come back rested with more than just Champions Cup qualification to aim for.
Other than missing their fly-half, this Saints squad is looking stronger than last week's. Iyogun,Langdon and Davison make up a formidable front row which will need to be at its best to compete with Rodd, Cowan-Dickie and Opoku-Fudjour. The battle of the front rows is one Northampton simply must win given Sale's strength in the back five. In the backs, Northampton look strong with DIngwall and Freeman starting once again. Northampton clearly have the players to pull off an upset but will have to overcome the physicality of the ale pack in order to do so.
Prediction
Sale Sharks 23 vs 16 Northampton
Bath vs Harlequins
Kickoff: 3:05pm Saturday, TNT Sports
Team news
Bath
1.Obano 2.Dunn 3.Stuart 4.Molony 5.Ewels
6.Hill 7.Reid 8.Barbeary 9.Spencer(C) 10.Russell
11.Muir 12.Redpath 13.Ojomoh 14.Cokanasiga 15.De Glanville
16.Annett 17.Van Wyck 18.Du Toit 19.Pepper
20.Underhill 21.Carr Smith 22.Butt 23.Coetzee
Harlequins
1.Baxter 2.Walker 3.Lamositele 4.Herbst 5.Lewes(C)
6.Kenningham 7.Lawday 8.Cunningham-South 9.Porter 10.Smith
11.David 12.Northmore 13.Beard 14.Isgro 15.Green
16.Riley 17.Els 18.Jones 19.Launchbury
20.Hammond 21.Schmid 22.Care 23.Benson
On Saturday afternoon Bath will welcome their latest challenger to the rec. Harlequins, emboldened by their late heroics in North London last week, will be buoyed by the return of Marcus Smith as they look to cause an upset in the west country. Bath continued their ominous form last week, showing that the Six Nations gap has had no impact on their title challenge going forward.
In order to continue their table-topping form, Bath will start a strong side at home. Will Stuart joins fellow Englishmen Obano and Dunn in the front row with Du Toit waiting amongst the reinforcements. Bath don't really have any back row options that aren't good enough to start for any team in England so have six back rowers in their 23-man squad. Hill, Reid and Barbeary have been given starts by Van Graan with Pepper, Underhill and Coetzee all on the bench. Spencer and Russell will continue their formidable half-back partnership in control of a strong back-line full of explosive athletes.
Harlequins have clearly decided that the way to combat Bath is with pure physicality. The soon-to-be-departing giant, Ernie Herbst, starts at second row with Lewes and the back row has also clearly been picked with size in mind. Dombrandt, Chisholm and Evans are nowhere to be seen leaving the powerful Cunningham-South and Kenningham to start. Harlequins also have a 6-2 split on the bench with both Launcbury and Hammond bringing more strength to proceedings. In the midfield, Northmore and Beard are both physical centres who will need to be at their best against Redpath and Ojomoh. If Quins are to have any chance in this game Northmore and Beard must carry hard and put their team on the front foot consistently. If all else fails, perhaps they can just try to keep things close so that Benson can come on and repeat his long-range kicking heroics from last week.
Prediction
Bath 34 vs 22 Harlequins
Exeter Chiefs vs Newcastle Falcons
Kickoff: 3pm Saturday, TNT Sports
Team news
Exeter Chiefs
1.Sio 2.Yeandle 3.Iosefa-Scott 4.Jenkins(C) 5.Molina
6.Moloney 7.Capstick 8.Fisilau 9.Townsend 10.Coen
11.Hodge 12.Rigg 13.Slade 14.Brown-Bampoe 15.Skinner
16.Norey 17.Blose 18.Roots 19.Tuima
20.James 21.Cairns 22.Tua 23.Hammersley
Newcastle
1.Brocklebank 2.Blamire 3.Palframan 4.Hawkins 5.De Chaves
6.Lockwood 7.Neild 8.Chick(C) 9.Davis 10.Connon
11.Stevenson 12.Clark 13.Doherty 14.Hearle 15.Obatoyinbo
16.Fletcher 17.Rewcastle 18.McCallum 19.Scott
20.Leatherbarrow 21.Stuart 22.Wilkinson 23.Spencer
The battle of the bottom two has its second edition of the 2024/25 season taking place in Exeter. This game would be Rugby's version of a "six-pointer" if there was actually any prospect of English rugby getting its act together enough for promotion/relegation to be a possibility. Unfortunately, this is the real world and that isn't going to happen but this game still matters; a win for Exeter could put them back in the race for Champions Cup places and a Falcons win would improve their chances at finishing above 10th which would make for a very successful season.
Exeter are clearly looking for more control in games and so have picked two fly-halves in the starting line-up. Young Coen starts for the second Premiership game in a row and Skinner starts at fullback. Slade, who has also started at fly-half this season, will provide more creativity in the centres with his midfield partner, Rigg, expected to do the bulk of the carrying into contact. There is plenty of pace on the outside with Hodge moved out wide once again and the explosive Brown-Bampoe starting on the other wing.
Newcastle have selected a consistent side which is more due to a lack of options more than confidence after good results. They will have to scrap hard once again in a game which they will likely be targeting massively. Brocklebank, Blamire and Palframan have done well to provide a stable base for the Falcons and will need to do the same again on Saturday.
Prediction
Exeter Chiefs 24 vs 21 Newcastle Falcons
Gloucester vs Bristol Bears
Kickoff: 5:30pm Saturday, TNT Sports
Team news
Gloucester
1.Rapava-Ruskin 2.Singleton 3.Fasogbon 4.Clarke 5.Thomas
6.Clement 7.Ludlow(C) 8.Ackerman 9.Williams 10.Atkinson
11.Hathaway 12.Atkinson 13.Harris 14.Wade 15.Carreras
16.Blake 17.Knight 18.Gotovtsev 19.Jordan
20.Taylor 21.Englefield 22.Butler 23.Barton
Bristol Bears
1.Genge 2.Oghre 3.Lahiff 4.Dun 5.Caulfield
6.Luatua 7.Harding(C) 8.Mata 9.Randall 10.Byrne
11.Ravouvou 12.Williams 13.Van Rensburg 14.Bates 15.Lane
16.Thacker 17.Woolmore 18.Halliwell 19.Pearce
20.Heenan 21.Marmion 22.MacGinty 23.Naulago
This may not be the pre-determined "derby weekend" but this still counts as a local rivalry and is a fixture that has created some spectacular games of rugby. Bristol are known for their high possession style of expansive rugby and Gloucester are quite similar although they have reverted to a slightly more traditional style this year. Bristol are still flying high but Gloucester will fancy their chances at home on Sunday evening. Bristol are are great away side having ended Bath's long streak of home victories earlier this season so this is going to be a game to keep an eye on for sure.
Anscombe is out of the squad so Charlie Atkinson steps in at 10 with Santi Carreras back in his usual spot at 15. He is the central piece in a rapid back three in which he is flanked by Hathaway and Wade. Up front Gloucester are at full strength with Rapava-Ruskin and Fasogbon making a dangerous duo . Genge vs Fasogbon will be a battle to keep a close eye on when it's time to scrummage after the antics earlier in the season between the two which ended with Fasogbon waving Genge off the field when the England vice-captain was substituted.
Bristol will be feeling confident going back into this one and will be glad to see their experienced USA Eagle, AJ MacGinty, back on the bench having recovered from a serious injury. Byrne still starts in his position, however, having impressed in the jersey since signing from Leinster in an emergency mid-season deal.
Prediction
Gloucester 32 vs 36 Bristol Bears
Leicester Tigers vs Saracens
Kickoff: 3pm Sunday, TNT Sports
Team news
Leicester Tigers
1.Smith 2.Montoya 3.Heyes 4.Henderson 5.Chessum
6.Leibenberg 7.Reffell 8.Cracknell 9.Van Poortvliet 10.Pollard
11.Hassell-Collins 12.Woodward 13.Kata 14.Radwan 15.Steward
16.Clare 17.Whicombe 18.Cole 19.Wells
20.Ione 21.Youngs 22.Shillcock 23.Perese
Saracens
1.Mawi 2.George 3.Balmain 4.Itoje(C) 5.Tizard
6.McFarland 7.Gonzalez 8.Willis 9.Van Zyl 10.Burke
11.Hall 12.Tompkins 13.Lozowski 14.Elliot 15.Daly
16.Dan 17.Carre 18.Riccioni 19.Isiekwe
20.Onyeama-Christie 21.Earl 22.Simpson 23.Goode
Two giants of English rugby will battle it out at Welford Road for Sunday's rugby entertainment. Leicester are coming off the back of a huge win against their bitter rivals whilst Saracens played terribly last week but will still be wondering how they lost in the end. With both teams coming into this feeling very differently, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
Michael Cheika has picked a bulky pack which is bolstered by the return of Ollie Chessum. Smith, Montoya and Heyes are a strong front row which should have the early advantage but things will be trickier for the back row. Liebenberg, Reffell and Cracknell are all good players but they will have to be on top form to deal with what Saracens are bringing to Leicester on Sunday. The impressive, young Woodward starts once again next to Kata and is the only player who lacks huge experience in Leicester's starting XV.
Compared to Leicester, Saracens have some fairly inexperienced players - particularly on the wing. Tobias Elliot is young but has made an impressive start to his senior rugby career so far this season and he is joined by Angus Hall who is making his Premiership starting debut on Sunday. Hall has been a stand-out performer for the England U-20s in the 2025 Six Nations but he played those games as an outside centre not a winger. One thing is for sure, Hall brings plenty of size to the wing but he'll need to be at his best to cope with Radwan.
Prediction
Leicester Tigers 29 vs 19 Saracens
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