The opening round of Premiership fixtures continue with the pick of the weekend the Saracens versus Northampton Saints clash.
Saracens v Northampton
British & Irish Lions duo George Kruis and Maro Itoje will both start for Saracens in the opening round of the season.
Both take their place in the pack, with Kruis packing down alongside debutant Dominic Day at lock forward and Itoje taking his place in the back row at blindside flanker alongside Schalk Burger (openside flanker) and Jackson Wray (number eight).
In the front-row, Richard Barrington starts at loosehead prop with Springbok internationals Schalk Brits (hooker) and Vincent Koch (tighthead prop) also named to start.
Scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth starts alongside fly-half Alex Lozowski at half-back, with Brad Barritt skippering the side from inside centre – he’ll partner Scotland international Duncan Taylor in the Sarries midfield.
In the back-three, Alex Goode starts at full-back with Sean Maitland taking his place on the right-wing and Nathan Earle starting on the opposite flank.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s London Double Header, Director of Rugby Mark McCall said: “The London Double Header is a great way to start the season with four sides batting it out in a showpiece occasion in front of a big crowd. Looking around the Premiership, all clubs have strengthened going into the new campaign with quality players joining from across the globe – again proving that this competition is one of the best in the world.
"Our opponents on Saturday, Northampton Saints have strengthened during the offseason, adding some quality players to their squad. In Jim Mallinder they have an experienced Director of Rugby, with a number of internationals amongst their ranks – they have quality across the pitch which should make for an exciting contest.”
For Northampton, Mitch Eadie makes his first competitive start for his new club, lining up in a back row alongside Lewis Ludlam, who is also starting a Premiership match for the first time.
Form: Saracens have lost their last two Premiership Rugby matches, at Wasps in round 22 and at Exeter in last season’s semi-final. They have not lost three in a row in the tournament since March 2010 – ten months before Mark McCall took over as head coach. Saracens have won on their last five visits to Twickenham Stadium since Northampton beat them there in the 2014 Premiership Rugby final. They have not lost in the London double-header since 2011. Northampton Saints finished the 2016-17 season with three straight victories, against Harlequins in round 22 then winning both play-off fixtures, against Connacht and Stade Francais, to gain a place in this season’s Champions Cup. Northampton have made three previous visits to Twickenham in Premiership Rugby, losing there to Leicester in the 2013 final, beating Saracens in the following year’s final and overcoming Harlequins in the ‘Big Game’ in December 2014. The Saints have been defeated in round 1 in the past two seasons. Saracens only defeat to Northampton in their last six fixtures in all competitions was 15-20 at Allianz Park in Premiership Rugby in March 2016.
The teams:
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Brad Barritt (c), 11 Nathan Earle, 10 Alex Lozowski, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Jackson Wray, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 4 Dominic Day, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Richard Barrington
Replacements: 16 Scott Spurling, 17 Hayden Thompson-Stringer, 18 Juan Figallo, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Michael Rhodes, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Marcelo Bosch, 23 Chris Wyles
Northampton: 15 Ahsee Tuala, 14 Ben Foden, 13 Nafi Tuitavake, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Tom Collins, 10 Harry Mallinder, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Mitch Eadie, 7 Lewis Ludlam, 6 Tom Wood, 5 Christian Day, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 Kieran Brookes, 2 Dylan Hartley (c), 1 Alex Waller
Replacements: 16 Mikey Haywood, 17 Campese Ma’afu, 18 Paul Hill, 19 David Ribbans, 20 Jamie Gibson, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 James Grayson, 23 Ken Pisi
Date: Saturday, September 2
Venue: Twickenham Stadium
Kick-Off: 14:00pm local (13:00 GMT)
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
Assistant Referees: Jack Makepeace, Roy Maybank
TMO: Geoffrey Warren
Wasps v Sale
For Wasps, new signing Gaby Lovobalavu is named to start at outside centre, while fellow new faces Juan De Jongh and Marcus Watson are included among the replacements, primed to make their Premiership debuts for the club.
Joe Launchbury returns to captain the side in the second row, having been rested during Wasps’ two pre-season fixtures following England duty. Fellow England international Nathan Hughes is also included in the starting line-up, with Matt Mullan named on the bench.
Ahead of Wasps’ first game of the 2017/18 season, Director of Rugby Dai Young said: “We’re all looking forward to getting back out there on Saturday. After a tough pre-season, the boys can’t wait to be back out on the field at the Ricoh Arena in front of our home support.
“We’ve had two good wins in our pre-season games against Ulster and Connacht, but as we prepare to kick off our Premiership campaign we know that pre-season victories count for very little in a competition where anyone can beat anyone on their day.
“Ultimately, last season was a good one for us but we came up just short in the Final and of course there’s still a bit of hurt there. Everyone knows the attacking game we like to play and our approach this season will be similar in terms of what I think we need to do to be up there again, but as a team we’re looking for more accuracy and improvements across the board.
“Sale first up is a tough challenge and they have recruited really well. You’re always going to get a dogged performance from Sale, they’re really physical, they play for each other, have a good set piece and they’ve added some big ball carriers as well as some quality players in the backline. Sale have always caused us problems and I’m sure that Saturday will be no different.
“We can’t wait to be back at the Ricoh where we love playing and we know we need to start strongly there. Hopefully our Wasps fans will give the squad a big roar as they run out to remind them how much everyone is behind them again.”
Meanwhile, Sale Sharks Director of Rugby Steve Diamond hands full debuts to Josh Strauss, Faf de Klerk and Jono Ross with Alex Tarus on the bench who will also make his debut if he takes the field. Marc Jones and Will Cliff are also named on the bench having rejoined the club in the close season.
Looking forward to the game at the Ricoh Arena, Diamond said, "Wasps are a well-coached team with fantastic players and they play a good brand of rugby but, hopefully, they will find it difficult to beat us down there," said the Sale director of rugby.
"We beat them here at the AJ Bell Stadium last season when they were top of the league and with the reality of last season and how we have improved the squad on the playing side, along with our fitness levels, I think we will be a handful for anybody.
"For a side like Sale, with me coaching them, I think we can give all the top sides a run for their money. So we are going there full of vigour, expecting to give it a really good shot on Saturday."
Form: Wasps topped the Premiership Rugby table last season leading the way from round 12 onwards but eventually lost out to Exeter Chiefs in extra time of a thrilling Premiership Rugby final. Wasps have won their last 19 Premiership Rugby fixtures at the Ricoh Arena – comfortably the club’s best ever sequence of wins at home. Wasps beat Exeter at the Ricoh Arena in round 1 last season to end an unwanted run of four successive defeats on the opening weekend. Sale Sharks finished in 10th spot in Aviva Premiership Rugby last season, beating Bath at AJ Bell Stadium in round 22. Sale’s only away win in the tournament last season came at relegated Bristol at the end of October, whilst their only victory in round 1 in the last six seasons was at Gloucester in 2013. The last six meetings between the two clubs in Premiership Rugby have been evenly shared with three wins each. The Sharks most recent victory on Wasps’ soil was 21-17 at Adams Park in March 2014.
The teams:
Wasps: 15 Willie Le Roux, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Gaby Lovobalavu, 12 Jimmy Gopperth, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 Alex Rieder, 6 Ashley Johnson, 5 Kearnan Myall, 4 Joe Launchbury (c), 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 2 Tom Cruse, 1 Simon McIntyre
Replacements: 16 Will Rowlands, 17 Matt Mullan, 18 Marty Moore, 19 Matt Symons, 20 Jack Willis, 21 Joe Simpson, 22 Juan De Jongh, 23 Marcus Watson
Sale: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Denny Solomona, 13 Will Addison, 12 Sam James, 11 Byron McGuigan, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Josh Strauss, 7 Ben Curry, 6 Jono Ross, 5 Josh Beaumont, 4 Bryan Evans, 3 Halani Aulika, 2 Rob Webber, 1 Ross Harrison
Replacements: 16 Marc Jones, 17 James Flynn, 18 Alex Tarus, 19 Andrei Ostrikov, 20 TJ Ioane, 21 Tom Curry, 22 Will Cliff, 23 Mark Jennings
Date: Saturday, September 2
Venue: Ricoh Arena
Kick-Off: 15:00pm local (14:00 GMT)
Referee: JP Doyle
Assistant Referees: Paul Burton, Michael Hudson
TMO: David Sainsbury
London Irish v Harlequins
Petrus Du Plessis and Franco van der Merwe will make their London Irish debuts against Harlequins in the traditional London Double Header at Twickenham this Saturday.
Du Plessis starts at tighthead, while recent arrival Van der Merwe gets the nod in the second row as the Exiles look for a positive start in the season opener.
Tommy Bell, who racked up more than 300 points during Irish’s Championship-winning campaign, starts at full back with Alex Lewington and Topsy Ojo occupying either wing.
Fergus Mulchrone and Canadian international Ciaran Hearn start at inside and outside centre respectively, both having helped themselves to tries during pre-season.
Fly-half James Marshall partners scrum-half Scott Steele at the heart of the Exiles’ backline.
In the front row, Du Plessis is joined by hooker David Paice and loosehead Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi. Exiles stalwart Paice, who has made over 250 appearances for the club, captains the side.
Sebastian De Chaves, a pivotal figure in the Exiles’ pack, partners fellow countryman van der Merwe in the engine room.
Last season’s Player of the Year Mike Coman starts at blindside flanker, with openside flanker Blair Cowan and No 8 Ofisa Treviranus making up an experienced back row.
“To play at Twickenham in the opening game of the season is a fantastic way to get our Aviva Premiership campaign underway,” said Exiles’ director of rugby Nick Kennedy.
“We’ve had a good pre-season and there has been a lot of competition for places, with everyone striving to be named in the starting XV this weekend.
“We’re delighted to be back in the Premiership and we’re really looking forward to playing in what is one of the most competitive competitions in the world.”
For Harlequins, there are two debutants in the starting 15 – fly-half Marcus Smith and second row Ben Glynn – and potentially one more, among the replacements, in the shape of summer signing Demetri Catrakilis.
It’s set to be a record-equaling day for full-back Mike Brown, who will go level with Defence Coach Nick Easter for most professional senior appearances in a Harlequins shirt.
In the front row, British and Irish Lion Joe Marler starts alongside Rob Buchanan and Will Collier, who yesterday signed a new contract with the club.
New signing Glynn forms the second row with club captain James Horwill as Chris Robshaw, Dave Ward and Jack Clifford are named in the back row.
Harlequins will blend youth with experience in the half-backs with Smith and scrum-half Danny Care, while Jamie Roberts and Joe Marchant are named in the midfield.
Form: London Irish return to the Premiership after just one season’s absence playing in the Championship. The Exiles have lost on their last seven visits to Twickenham Stadium since beating Saracens there in the London double header in 2010, the most recent occasion time they have won in round 1 of Premiership Rugby. Harlequins finished in 6th spot last year but their only win in the last four rounds was 32-13 at home to Wasps at the end of April. ‘Quins only defeat in their last ten visits to Twickenham was to Northampton in the 2014 ‘Big Game’. The only time that Harlequins have been defeated on the opening weekend since 2006 was against Wasps in the 2009 London double header. Harlequins have lost only one of their last twelve encounters with London Irish in all competitions: 13- 18 at Madejski Stadium in Premiership Rugby in October 2013. The two clubs have met on seven previous occasions at Twickenham (five in London double-headers), with the Exiles only two wins coming on their first two encounters in 2004 and 2006.
The teams:
London Irish: 15 Tommy Bell, 14 Alex Lewington, 13 Ciaran Hearn, 12 Fergus Mulchrone, 11 Topsy Ojo, 10 James Marshall, 9 Scott Steele, 8 Ofisa Treviranus, 7 Blair Cowan, 6 Mike Coman, 5 Sebastian De Chaves, 4 Franco van der Merwe, 3 Petrus Du Plessis, 2 David Paice (c), 1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi
Replacements: 16 Dave Porecki, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Ben Franks, 19 Josh McNally, 20 Conor Gilsenan, 21 Brendan McKibbin, 22 Greig Tonks, 23 Aseli Tikoirotuma
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Charlie Walker, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Danny Care, 8 Jack Clifford, 7 Dave Ward, 6 Chris Robshaw, 5 James Horwill (c), 4 Ben Glynn, 3 Will Collier, 2 Rob Buchanan, 1 Joe Marler
Replacements: 16 Joe Gray, 17 Mark Lambert, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 George Merrick, 20 Mat Luamanu, 21 Charlie Mulchrone, 22 Demetri Catrakilis, 23 Winston Stanley
Date: Saturday, September 2
Venue: Twickenham Stadium
Kick-Off: 16:45 local (15:45 GMT)
Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant Referees: Hamish Smales, Nigel Carrick
TMO: Keith Lewis
Leicester Tigers v Bath
Leicester Tigers will give league debuts to five summer signings in Sunday’s Premiership clash.
George Ford makes his first competitive appearance for the club since the 2013 Premiership Final and is joined in the starting line-up by Jonny May, Nick Malouf, Dominic Ryan and Sione Kalamafoni who will all run out in Tigers colours for the first time.
Another newcomer, fly-half Joe Ford, is named among the replacements.
Manu Tuilagi and Matt Toomua link up as the centre partnership after recovery from long-term injuries.
Head coach Matt O’Connor said: “We got everything that we wanted into pre-season, and there’s a good vibe in the group and fit bodies, which is important. The character of the group has never been in question and guys have genuinely put up their hands for selection.
“We’re excited by the new players we’ve brought in and having guys like Manu, Matt Toomua and Logo Mulipola back in place is good for us too.”
Taulupe Faletau, Jonathan Joseph and Anthony Watson will all start for Bath.
The trio, who were all part of the British & Irish Lions squad over the summer return to the Blue, Black and White line-up for the trip to the East Midlands.
Watson starts at fullback in an exciting back three, which includes Semesa Rokoduguni and Matt Banahan, who occupy the wing positions.
Meanwhile, Joseph returns to the squad to start at outside centre and will link-up with Max Clark in the midfield. Rhys Priestland and Chris Cook form the half-back pairing at fly-half and scrum-half respectively.
Tom Dunn makes his first start in the Premiership since February and will be joined in the front row by Beno Obano and Kane Palma-Newport.
Luke Charteris and Elliott Stooke make up a physical second row, whilst Matt Garvey captains the side from blindside flanker. Joining Garvey in the back row are Taulupe Faletau and Francois Louw, who makes his return from injury.
James Phillips, Anthony Perenise and Freddie Burns could make their competitive debuts for Bath Rugby off the replacements bench.
Form: Leicester Tigers lost out to Wasps by the narrowest of margins in last season’s Premiership Rugby semi-final at the Ricoh Arena after finishing 4th in the league table. Tigers only defat at Welford Road in the competition since New Year’s Day was to Exeter Chiefs at the beginning of March Leicester Tigers have begun a new campaign with victory in round 1 for the past five seasons, since Chiefs won 30-28 at Welford Road in the opening weekend in 2011. Bath Rugby finished last season in 5th place in the table but won just twice in the last seven rounds, against Leicester at Twickenham and Gloucester at the Recreation Ground. Bath’s only round 1 loss since 2006 came at Gloucester in 2009. The last six meetings between the two clubs in Premiership Rugby are evenly split with three wins apiece, whilst Bath’s only victory at Welford Road in Premiership Rugby was 13-12 in November 2003.
The teams:
Leicester Tigers: 15 Telusa Veainu, 14 Nick Malouf, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Brendon O’Connor, 6 Dominic Ryan, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Dom Barrow, 3 Logovi’i Mulipola, 2 Tom Youngs (c), 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Greg Bateman, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Mike Williams, 20 Luke Hamilton, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Joe Ford, 23 Mathew Tait
Bath: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Max Clark, 11 Matt Banahan, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Chris Cook, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Matt Garvey (c), 5 Elliott Stooke, 4 Luke Charteris, 3 Kane Palma-Newport, 2 Tom Dunn, 1 Beno Obano
Replacements: 16 Jack Walker, 17 Nick Auterac, 18 Anthony Perenise, 19 James Phillips, 20 Paul Grant, 21 Kahn Fotuali’i, 22 Freddie Burns, 23 Ben Tapuai
Date: Saturday, September 2
Venue: Welford Road
Kick-Off: 15:00 local (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant Referees: Anthony Woodthorpe, Simon McConnell
TMO: Graham Hughes
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