Argentina lock Tomás Lavanini set for Tigers debut

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August 25, 2018 - Mendoza, Argentina - TOMAS LAVANINI taking position on the field during first half of the match.. The Rugby Championship 2018, Round 2 Argentina 32-19 South Africa. (Credit Image: © Maximiliano Aceiton/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com)

There are four Premiership matches scheduled for Saturday and Sunday with Leicester Tigers, Saracens, Wasps and Worcester Warriors all hosting their respective games.

Saturday

Leicester Tigers v Gloucester

Rugby World Cup trio Telusa Veainu, Sione Kalamafoni and new signing Tomás Lavanini are all included in the Leicester Tigers squad for Saturday’s home game against Gloucester in the third round of the Premiership season.

Kalamafoni was the first player to return to club duty from the World Cup when he was used as a second-half replacement against Saracens last weekend and is now restored to the Tigers back-row.

Veainu makes his first club appearance of the season after his return from international duty with Tonga while Argentina second-row Lavanini is in line to make his debut from the bench.

Club captain Tom Youngs returns in the front-row where Nephi Leatigaga starts for the first time in a Tigers shirt.

Tommy Reffell and Will Spencer are both ruled out by chest injuries suffered against Saracens as Guy Thompson moves to flanker and Harry Wells steps in at lock.

There are changes in the backline, too, where academy graduates Andy Forsyth, Tom Hardwick and Jordan Olowofela have starting places and Sam Harrison is named at scrum-half.

Tatafu Polota-Nau returns from a ban to join Lavanini on the bench where there is also a place for on-loan back-rower Ifereimi Boladau.

Meanwhile, Gloucester continue their Premiership campaign and make five changes to their starting line-up, with four in the pack and one in the backs. Ed Slater will skipper the side against his former club.

In the front-row, Josh Hohneck and Fraser Balmain will make their first starts of the season. Likewise, Jake Polledri and Ben Morgan, replacements in last week’s win over Wasps, both start their first games of the season in the back-row.

There is just the one change in the backs, with Matt Banahan starting on the right wing with Tom Marshall moving to full-back.

The Cherry and Whites have won their first two matches of the season, and will be seeking to win their first three matches for the first time since 2007/08. However, they will come up against a Tigers side determined to get their season up and running.

Form: Leicester Tigers have lost their last five Premiership Rugby matches since beating relegated Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park in April, this equals their worst ever run of defeats in the competition. Tigers have not been victorious at Welford Road in Premiership Rugby since Wasps were the visitors in March. Gloucester are one of only two sides who remain unbeaten in this year’s Premiership. The Cherry and Whites have not won their opening three matches of a Premiership Rugby campaign since 2007/08. The last five fixtures between the two clubs in Premiership Rugby have all been won by the home side on the day, whilst Gloucester’s most recent victory at Welford Road was in October 2007.

The teams:

Leicester Tigers: 15 Telusa Veainu, 14 Jonah Holmes, 13 Andy Forsyth, 12 Tom Hardwick, 11 Jordan Olowofela, 10 Noel Reid, 9 Sam Harrison, 8 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Guy Thompson, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 5 Calum Green, 4 Harry Wells, 3 Nephi Leatigaga, 2 Tom Youngs (c), 1 Greg Bateman
Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 Facundo Gigena, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Tomás Lavanini, 20 Ifereimi Boladau, 21 Ben White, 22 George Worth, 23 Adam Thompstone

Gloucester: 15 Tom Marshall, 14 Matt Banahan, 13 Billy Twelvetrees, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Ollie Thorley, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Jake Polledri, 6 Ruan Ackermann, 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 4 Ed Slater (c), 3 Fraser Balmain, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Josh Hohneck
Replacements: 16 Corné Fourie, 17 Val Rapava Ruskin, 18 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 19 Freddie Clarke, 20 Lewis Ludlow, 21 Callum Braley, 22 Chris Harris, 23 Jason Woodward

Venue: Welford Road
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Referee: Ian Tempest
Assistant referees: Hamish Smales, Wayne Falla
TMO: Trevor Fisher

Saracens v London Irish

Saracens have made three changes to their starting XV for the visit of London Irish in Round Three of the Premiership.

Following his first competitive club appearance for 19 months, Duncan Taylor starts at 12. His last start in the league for the Men in Black came in January 2018 at Wasps.

Rotimi Segun is reinstated on the wing searching for his maiden Premiership try and partners Sean Maitland and Matt Gallagher in the back three.

Scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth continues alongside Manu Vunipola in the half-back positions. It was proved the difference in age between the two (16 years 330 days) is the largest gap of any half-back duo in professional English rugby history.

In the forwards, Callum Hunter-Hill earns the five shirt while Nick Isiekwe moves on to the flank with two-try hero from last time out Ben Earl on the other side of the scrum.

Academy back-rower Sean Reffell is fit again after being knocked out in the Premiership Rugby Cup match against Northampton Saints and is named as a replacement.

In total, 14 of the matchday 23 hail from the club’s academy.

Brad Barritt, Alex Goode, Mike Rhodes, Max Malins, Kapeli Pifeleti and Juan Figallo are unavailable for Saturday’s match due to injury. Josh Ibuanokpe remains suspended.

Meanwhile, London Irish boss Declan Kidney has made six personnel changes to the starting XV that faced Sale last weekend for this match.

In the front-row, Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, Saia Fainga’a and Ollie Hoskins continue their partnership.

South African duo Ruan Botha and Franco van der Merwe link up in the second-row, with Van der Merwe captaining the side.

Blair Cowan starts at flanker, with Samoa international TJ Ioane making his first appearance since his outings at the Rugby World Cup on the other flank of the scrum. Albert Tuisue retains the number eight jersey.

Ben Meehan comes in at scrum-half to partner the experienced Stephen Myler, who starts at fly-half.

At inside centre, there is a welcome return from injury for Tom Stephenson, with Curtis Rona named at outside centre.

Exciting duo Ben Loader and Matt Williams start on each wing, with Paddy Jackson completing the line-up from full-back.

Among the replacements sees Motu Matu’u named. It will be the hooker’s first appearance for London Irish since the Rugby World Cup.

Form: Saracens’ only defeat in their last four Premiership Rugby fixtures was 25-27 at home to Northampton Saints in Round One. Saracens have not lost successive home games in the same season of Premiership Rugby since they were defeated by Bath and Bristol at Vicarage Road in February 2006. London Irish have won just one of their last four Premiership Rugby encounters: 29-26 at Wasps in Round One. The Exiles have not won back-to-back away fixtures in Premiership Rugby since trips to Newcastle and Leicester in September 2014. Saracens have won their last six matches against London Irish since the Exiles 22-13 victory at Allianz Park in February 2014.

The teams:

Saracens: 15 Matt Gallagher, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Alex Lozowski, 12 Duncan Taylor, 11 Rotimi Segun, 10 Manu Vunipola, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Jackson Wray (c), 7 Ben Earl, 6 Nick Isiekwe, 5 Callum Hunter-Hill, 4 Will Skelton, 3 Titi Lamositele, 2 Tom Woolstencroft, 1 Richard Barrington
Replacements: 16 Joe Gray, 17 Ralph Adams-Hale, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Joel Kpoku, 20 Sean Reffell, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 Nick Tompkins, 23 Alex Lewington

London Irish: 15 Paddy Jackson, 14 Matt Williams, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Tom Stephenson, 11 Ben Loader, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Ben Meehan, 8 Albert Tuisue, 7 TJ Ioane, 6 Blair Cowan, 5 Franco van der Merwe (c), 4 Ruan Botha, 3 Ollie Hoskins, 2 Saia Fainga’a, 1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi
Replacements: 16 Motu Matu’u, 17 Allan Dell, 18 Patric Cilliers, 19 George Nott, 20 Matt Rogerson, 21 Scott Steele, 22 Brendan Macken, 23 Ollie Hassell-Collins

Venue: Allianz Park
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Referee: Adam Leal
Assistant referees: Craig Maxwell-Keys, Philip Watters
TMO: David Grashoff

Wasps v Bath

Italy full-back Matteo Minozzi will make his Wasps debut against Bath at the Ricoh Arena this weekend.

The electric back recently returned from Rugby World Cup duty, where he scored two tries in three matches, and is handed a start at 15 in a pacey back-three that includes Zach Kibirige and Paolo Odogwu.

Odogwu will make his first Premiership appearance for Wasps as he deputises for Marcus Watson, who has been granted special leave to go and support his brother Anthony at the Rugby World Cup final in Japan.

Jimmy Gopperth recovers from a shoulder injury to be named at inside centre alongside Malakai Fekitoa, while Dan Robson and Lima Sopoaga form the half-back partnership once again.

In the pack, lock Will Rowlands is set for his first appearance of the season, after overcoming a calf injury to partner James Gaskell.

Zurabi Zhvania, Tommy Taylor and Kieran Brookes keep their places in the front-row with Brad Shields, Nizaam Carr and Sione Vailanu starting in the back-row.

Loosehead prop Ben Harris could make his 50th appearance for the club from the bench while Tom Cruse and Billy Searle are restored to the matchday 23, with Michael Le Bourgeois returning from a hip knock.

For Bath, they have made six changes the starting line-up, with Charlie Ewels captaining the side against Wasps at the Ricoh Arena.

Josh Bayliss, Lewis Boyce, Freddie Burns, Chris Cook, Elliott Stooke and Jack Walker all come into the starting XV to make their first starts in the Premiership this season. Ollie Fox is also in line to make his first appearance in the competition, with the scrum-half named among the replacements.

Rhys Priestland is joined by Cook in a new back-field pairing, with Jamie Roberts and Max Wright in an unchanged centre partnership. Semesa Rokoduguni and Aled Brew start on the right and left wing respectively, with Freddie Burns coming in at full-back.

Boyce and Walker join Will Stuart in the front-row, with Stooke and Ewels in the second-row. Bayliss starts at openside flanker, with Mike Williams and Zach Mercer completing the pack.

Will Chudley has not been able to complete his return to play protocol after suffering from a vomiting bug earlier in the week that also affected other members of the squad.

Form: Wasps’ only victory in their last five Premiership Rugby fixtures was 27-25 over Harlequins at Ricoh Arena in round 22 last season. Wasps have not begun a Premiership Rugby campaign with three successive defeats since 2013/14. Wasps’ record at the Ricoh Arena in the tournament since the start of last season is won six, lost six. Bath have lost just once in the last four rounds of Premiership Rugby: 16-43 at Bristol on the opening evening of the new season. Bath have won just once away from home in Premiership Rugby in 2019, and that by a solitary point at Leicester in Round 22 last season. Bath are unbeaten in their last four matches against Wasps in all competitions since Wasps 31-26 victory at the Recreation Ground in Premiership Rugby in December 2017. Bath have visited Ricoh Arena on six previous occasion in all tournaments, winning three, drawing one and losing two.

The teams:

Wasps: 15 Matteo Minozzi, 14 Zach Kibirige, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Jimmy Gopperth, 11 Paolo Odogwu, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Dan Robson (c), 8 Sione Vailanu, 7 Nizaam Carr, 6 Brad Shields, 5 Will Rowlands, 4 James Gaskell, 3 Kieran Brookes, 2 Tommy Taylor, 1 Zurabi Zhvania
Replacements: 16 Tom Cruse, 17 Ben Harris, 18 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 19 Thibaud Flament, 20 Ashley Johnson 21 Sam Wolstenholme, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Michael Le Bourgeois

Bath: 15 Freddie Burns, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Max Wright, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Aled Brew, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Chris Cook, 8 Zach Mercer, 7 Josh Bayliss, 6 Mike Williams, 5 Charlie Ewels (c), 4 Elliott Stooke, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Lewis Boyce
Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Josh McNally, 20 Tom Ellis, 21 Ollie Fox, 22 Alex Davies, 23 Gabriel Hamer-Webb

Venue: Ricoh Arena
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe
Assistant referees: JP Doyle, Paul Dix
TMO: Geoffrey Warren

Sunday

Worcester Warriors v Exeter Chiefs

Worcester scrum-half Michael Heaney will make his first Premiership start of the season against Exeter Chiefs at Sixways on Sunday.

Heaney fills the gap left by South Africa international Francois Hougaard, who suffered a rotator cuff injury in a shoulder last week and will be sidelined for at least three weeks.

Heaney, who is in his second season with Warriors, played in three Premiership Rugby Cup matches earlier this season but this will be only the second Premiership start of his career and his first since Gloucester at Kingsholm 11 months ago.

With Jono Kitto, another scrum-half, ruled out by a groin injury Warriors have called up Gareth Simpson for a possible Premiership debut off the bench.

Simpson, who turns 22 on Saturday, joined the Warriors academy during the summer having impressed in the Premiership Rugby Shield in the second half of last season while he was on trial.

Warriors have made two changes to their pack with Callum Black and Graham Kitchener starting at loosehead prop and lock respectively with Ethan Waller and Michael Fatialofa on the bench.

Back-row forward Marco Mama has recovered from the head injury that ruled him out of the Northampton match and he has been named as one of six forward replacements.

Centre Ryan Mills will again captain Warriors on his 99th appearance for the club.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs stick largely with those on duty at Bath, despite succumbing at the Rec. The backline remains untouched with Stuart Hogg again lining up at full-back in an exciting back three trio of Alex Cuthbert and Tom O’Flaherty.

Up front, Alec Hepburn is recalled to the front-row at the expense of Ben Moon, while former Worcester favourite Matt Kvesic comes in for his first start of the season with Sam Simmonds not being risked on the artificial surface at Sixways.

On the bench, Billy Keast offers back-up to Hepburn and Kvesic’s promotion means Sean Lonsdale is added to the ranks, alongside Nic White, who is drafted straight back into Chiefs life following his exertions with Australia at the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Form: Worcester Warriors’ last seven fixtures in Gallagher Premiership Rugby have all been won by the home side on the day. The Warriors’ only home defeat in Premiership Rugby in 2019 was to today’s visitors Exeter Chiefs, in March. Worcester have won their last four games at Sixways in the tournament but have never won five in succession at home. Exeter Chiefs beat Harlequins at Sandy Park by three points on the opening weekend and then lost at Bath by three points in Round Two. The Chiefs have lost their last two away games in Premiership Rugby since beating Leicester 52-20 at Welford Road in April. The two clubs have met on 14 previous occasions in Premiership Rugby with Worcester’s only victory being 6-5 at Sandy Park in February 2018. The Chiefs’ most recent defeat at Sixways in a league game was in Division One in November 2003.

The teams:

Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Perry Humphreys, 13 Ashley Beck, 12 Ryan Mills (c), 11 Melani Nanai, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Michael Heaney, 8 Cornell du Preez, 7 Sam Lewis, 6 Ted Hill, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Conor Carey, 2 Niall Annett, 1 Callum Black
Replacements: 16 Joe Taufete’e, 17 Ethan Waller, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 Michael Fatialofa, 20 GJ van Velze, 21 Marco Mama, 22 Gareth Simpson, 23 Francois Venter

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tom O’Flaherty, 13 Ian Whitten, 12 Sam Hill, 11 Alex Cuthbert, 10 Joe Simmonds, 9 Jack Maunder, 8 Matt Kvesic, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Dave Dennis, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Jack Yeandle (c), 1 Alec Hepburn
Replacements: 16 Elvis Taione, 17 Billy Keast, 18 Marcus Street, 19 Jannes Kirsten, 20 Sean Lonsdale, 21 Nic White, 22 Gareth Steenson, 23 Tom Hendrickson

Venue: Sixways
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant referees: Jack Makepeace, Simon McConnell
TMO: Stuart Terheege

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Bath