Bath vs Saracens

Kickoff: 7:45pm, Friday 20th March

Venue: The Recreation Ground

Watch on: TNT Sports 1

The Gallagher Prem will return on Friday night with a game between Bath and Saracens at the Rec. Bath come into this firmly in the playoff places whilst Saracens need to pick up some wins quickly in order to keep themselves in the mix. Bath won this fixture 36-29 at the StoneX in November so Saracens will be looking for revenge on Friday.

Bath have gone with a very strong team, bringing the likes of Griffin, Russell, Spencer, Underhill and Pepper back after they all played in the Six Nations last weekend. Saracens, meanwhile, have opted to rest Itoje, Earl, Carre and George for this one. Saracens still look strong but Bath are clearly targeting this one before resting their internationals over the course of the next couple of rounds. 

The key battle for this one will be Farrell vs Russell at fly-half. These two had some memorable battles at international level and will bring that to the club game. Russell has the stronger pack, and so has the early advantage, but Farrell has overcome the odds many times before. It's difficult to look past Bath winning this one at home.

Team news

Bath

Starting XV

1.Beno Obano 2.Tom Dunn 3.Archie Griffin 4.Quinn Roux 5.Charlie Ewels

6.Josh Bayliss 7.Miles Reid 8.Alfie Barbeary 9.Ben Spencer(C) 10.Finn Russell

11.Will Muir 12.Max Ojomoh 13.Ollie Lawrence 14.Henry Arundell 15.Tom de Glanville

Bench

16.Kepueli Tuipulotu 17.Fracois van Wyk 18.Thomas du Toit 19.Ted Hill

20.Guy Pepper 21.Bernard van der Linde 22.Santi Carreras 23.Sam Underhill

Saracens

Starting XV

1.Eroni Mawi 2.Theo Dan 3.Marcus Street 4.Nick Isiekwe 5.Hugh Tizard

6.Theo McFarland 7.Juan Martin Gonzalez 8.Tom Willis 9.Ivan van Zyl 10.Owen Farrell

11.Rotimi Segun 12.Nick Tompkins 13.Lucio Cinti 14.Tobias Elliot 15.Elliot Daly

Bench

16.James Hadfield 17.Alex O'Driscroll 18.Marco Riccioni 19.Andy Onyeama-Christie

20.Ben Earl 21.Gareth Simpson 22.Fergus Burke 23.Max Malins

Harlequins vs Gloucester

Kickoff: 3pm, Saturday 21st March

Venue: The Twickenham Stoop

Watch on: TNT Sports / Discovery plus

This is a must-win game. Both of these teams have been massively underwhelming this season and will be hoping to find some form after a lengthy break. Gloucester finally look somewhat healthy whilst Harlequins are missing some big names so this one will be tense. 9th hosts 8th in a battle to stay relevant.

Harlequins are missing Evans, Cunningham-South, Porter, Beard, Northmore and more for this one but still look dangerous. There are dangers throughout their team and the inexperienced centre partnership of Bradley and Waghorn will present a physical test for Gloucester. They are both fairly big inside centres so should hopefully add a new dimension of toughness to the Harlequins back-line that has underwhelmed in that facet of the game for the last couple of seasons. 

Gloucester have several returning players in an exciting back line. Charlie Atkinson now has a firm grasp of the fly-half position and can build a half-back partnership with Tomos Williams. Max Llewellyn is also back and will fill a big gap that was left in the Gloucester back line. Will Joseph, who had filled in well for him, shifts back to the wing. 

The big battle in this game will be in midfield. Atkinson and Lewllyn are a far more accomplished duo at centre, both having international caps to their names, and they should make they difference in this one. Gloucester have more clarity, and are healthier, than their opposition on Saturday and so they are favourites for this one.

Team news

Team news

Harlequins

Starting XV

1.Simon Kerrod 2.Jack Walker 3.Harry Williams 4.Guido Petti Pagadizabal 5.Kieran Treadwell

6.Jack Kenningham 7.Seb Driscoll 8.Alex Dombrandt(C) 9.Stu Townsend 10.Marcus Smith

11.Cadan Murley 12.Bryn Bradley 13.Ben Waghorn 14.Rodrigo Isgro 15.Nick David

Bench

16.Jack Musk 17.Will Hobson 18.Pedro Delgado 19.Jonny Green 

20.Zach Carr 21.Lucas Friday 22.Jamie Benson 23.Tyrone Green

Gloucester 

Starting XV

1.Val Rapava Ruskin 2.Jack Innard 3.Afo Fasogbon 4.Arthur Clark(C) 5.Matias Alemanno

6.Jack Clement 7.Lewis Ludlow 8.WIll Trenholm 9.Tomos Williams 10.Charlie Atkinson

11.Ollie Thorley 12.Seb Atkinson 13.Max Llewellyn 14.Will Joseph 15.Ben Redshaw

Bench

16.Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia 17.Dian Bleuler 18.Ciaran Knight 19.Freddie Thomas

20.Deian Gwynne 21.Caolan Englefield 22.George Barton 23.Josiah Edwars-Giraud

Northampton Saints vs Newcastle Red Bulls

Kickoff: 3pm, Saturday 21st March

Venue: Cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens

Watch on: TNT Sports / Discovery plus

Top hosts bottom at the Cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday afternoon. The Saints are flying high whilst Newcastle are slowly building having just parted ways with their head coach in the lead up to this game. Newcastle only have one win this season but do look potentially dangerous. Northampton beat the Red Bulls 36-19 when the teams met at Kingston Park in October but Newcastle are a better team now than they were at that point.

Northampton have a strong team despite missing everyone that played for England during the Six Nations. Fin Smith and Alex Mitchell are crucial to Northampton's success, but Belleau and McParland have been excellent in their absence so far, and there is no reason to doubt that their success will continue. George Furbank will be hoping to get a proper run of games at fullback now that he is fit, but watch out for young James pater on the right wing. Furbank looks to be off to South-West London next season with George Hendy, who is currently unavailable, and James Pater being the new fullback options for Northampton. Pater starred for the England U20s in the Six Nations and is a highly-rated prospect.

Northampton have opted for some bulk in their team by selecting Ollie Leatherbarrow at no.8 and moving Hearle inside to 13 rather than on the wing. Brett Connon has been given the nod at fly-half with the Obatoyinbos providing the athleticism out wide.

The battle to watch in this game comes in the back row. Tom Christie and Tom Pearson are both physical openside flankers who love to put themselves about. They will both look to impose themselves on their opposition and will be the heartbeat of their sides. I think Pearson has the edge in that match-up and that's partially why I back the Saints to emerge victorious from this one.

Team news

Northampton Saints

Starting XV
1.Immanuel Iyogun 2.Robbie Smith 3.Luke Green 4.Ed Prowse 5.Chunya Munga

6.Tom Lockett 7.Tom Pearson 8.Callum Chick(C) 9.Archie McParland 10.Anthony Belleau

11.James Ramm 12.Tom Litchfield 13.Rory Hutchinson 14.James Pater 15.George Furbank

Bench

16.Curtis Langdon 17.Tom West 18.Cleopas Kundiona 19.Aiden Ainsworth-Cave

20.Charlie Ulcoq 21.Tom James 22.Toby Thame 23.Ollie Sleightholme

Newcastle Red Bulls 

Starting XV

1..Adam Brocklebank 2.George McGuigan(C) 3.Richard Palframan 4.Freddie Clarke 5.Adam Scott

6.Reuben Parsons 7.Tom Christie 8.Ollie Leatherbarrow 9.Simon Benitez Cruz 10.Brett Connon

11.Harrison Obatoyinbo 12.Sammy Arnold 13.Alex Hearle 14.Olie Spencer 15.Elliott Obatoyinbo

Bench

16.Ollie Fletcher 17.Murray McCallum 18.Nicky Little 19.John Hawkins 

20.Tom Gordon 21.James Elliot 22.Rhys Beeckmans 23.Boeta Chamberlain

Exeter Chiefs vs Sale Sharks

Kickoff: 3:05pm, Saturday 21st March

Venue: Sandy Park

Watch on: TNT Sports 1

Sale have been a disappointment this season whilst Exeter's aggressive recruitment has paid dividends already. Sale are cut adrift from the playoffs on just 20 points and Exeter sit in 5th, just a point outside of the top four. Sale need to stand up in these games and earn some big away wins to even secure Champions Cup rugby for next season.

Exeter look to be in good health up front with several internationals adorning their starting XV. Jenkins has gone up another level in an improved Welsh team and will line-up with Zambonin in the second row whilst Hooper, Fisilau and Vintcent combine to make a very dangerous back row. Feyi-Waboso and Ikitau are both out, so the Chiefs are missing some electricity, but Ridl's development has helped to cover for those losses.

Sale are without some big names but do still have enough key players to put up a good fight on Saturday afternoon. Missing Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Rodd, the Curry brothers, Tom Roebuck and George Ford hurts this team badly.

The front row battle is crucial to this game. Sale's entire starting front row is out so Mcintyre, Jibulu and Harper will have to step up. The front row is an area of strength for Exeter and Scott Sio will be looking forward to taking on Harper at the scrum. That advantage, amongst many others, gives Exeter the edge in this one.

Team news

Exeter Chiefs

Starting XV
1.Scott Sio 2.Jack Yeandle 3.Bachuki Tchumbadze 4.Dafydd Jenkins(C) 5.Andrea Zambonin

6.Tom Hooper 7.Ross Vintcent 8.Greg Fisilau 9.Stephen Varney 10.Harvey Skinner

11.Campbell Ridl 12.Will Rigg 13.Heny Slade 14.Paul Brown-Bampoe 15.Olly Woodburn

Bench

16.Julian Heaven 17.Will Goodrick-Clarke 18.Jimmy Roots 19.Lewis pearson 

20.Finn Worley-Brady 21.Tom Cairns 22.Will Haydon-Wood 23.Dan John

Sale Sharks

Starting XV

1.Simon Mcintyre 2.Narthan Jibulu 3.James Harper 4.Ernst van Rhyn 5.Ben Bamber

6.Jacques Vermuelen 7.Sam Dugdale 8.Dan du Preez 9.Raffi Quirke 10.Rob du Preez

11.Aaron Reed 12.Rekeiti Ma'asi-White 13.Marius Louw 14.Tom O'Flaherty 15.Joe Carpenter

Bench

16.Ethan Caine 17.Ralph Mceachran 18.Willgriff John 19.Jos Gilmore

20.Reuben Logan 21.Gus Warr 22.Ollie Davies 23.Alex Wills

Leicester Tigers vs Bristol Bears

Kickoff: 3pm, Sunday 22nd March

Venue: Mattioli Woods Welford Road

Watch on: TNT Sports 1

The game of the weekend will take place on Sunday afternoon when 3rd visits 4th. Bristol won 42-24 when these sides met earlier in the season but Leicester look stronger now. Leicester, in particular, have gone with a very strong side.

Smith, Heyes, Chessum and van Poortvliet are all straight in after playing in the Six Nations last weekend in a move that shows how seriously the Tigers are taking this game. Billy Searle stays at fly-half after winning the job over James O'Connor. Orlando Bailey will act as the team's second playmaker with Hassell-Collins, Hamer-Webb and Steward making a large back 3 to aid the kicking game.

Bristol are missing the likes of Genge, Batley, Thacker, Jordan and MacGinty for this one but still have a strong group. This will be a clash of styles in which Bristol will need to take advantage of their pace out wide through the likes of Ibitoye and Ravouvou.

The big match-up in this one comes in the back 3 where the two sides are built to play very different brands of rugby. Leicester will want this to be a structured game, built around set-pieces whilst the Bears will want to play a more expansive brand of rugby that stretches Leicester to breaking point. I think the Tigers' have the edge in this one.

Team news

Leicester Tigers

Starting XV
1.Nicky Smith 2.Jamie Blamire 3.Joe Heyes 4.Hanro Liebenberg 5.Ollie Chessum(C)

6.Joaquin Moro 7.Hamish Watson 8.Olly Cracknell 9.Tom Whiteley 10.Billy Searle

11.Ollie Hassell-Collins 12.Orlando Bailey 13.Will Wand 14.Gabriel Hamer-Webb 15.Freddie Steward

Bench

16.Finn Theobald-Thomas 17,Archie van der Flier 18.Will Hurd 19.Osian Thomas

20.Harry Palmer 21.Jack van Poortvliet 22.James O'Connor 23.Izaia Perese

Bristol Bears

Starting XV
1.Jake Woolmore 2.Gabriel Oghre 3.George Kloska 4.James Dun 5.Joe Owen

6.Steven Luatua 7.Fitz Harding(C) 8.Viliame Mata 9.Harry Randall 10.Sam Worsley

11.Gabriel Ibitoye 12.James Williams 13.Bernhard Janse van Rensburg 14.Kalaveti Ravouvou 15.Noah Heward

Bench

16.Tomos Gwilliam 17.Max Lahiff 18.Lovejoy Chawatama 19.George Taylor

20.Santiago Grondona 21.Kieran Marmion 22.Matias Moroni 23.Aidan Boshoff