Big names aplenty as Premiership top three do battle

David Skippers

The Premiership continues on Friday as three matches take place, including the huge encounter between Sale Sharks and Exeter Chiefs.

Sale Sharks v Exeter Chiefs

Sale Sharks name an experienced matchday squad to face Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership.

Director of rugby Steve Diamond has made just one change to the 23-man squad that fell short at the Stoop last weekend, as Sam James returns to the Sharks squad at outside centre with Manu Tuilagi deployed at inside centre for the top four clash at the AJ Bell Stadium.

Coenie Oosthuizen, Akker van der Merwe and Will-Griff John all retain their places in the Sharks starting line-up, as do Jean-Luc du Preez and Lood de Jager, as they look to build a formidable second-row partnership in the absence of the now retired Bryn Evans.

An unchanged back-row of Jono Ross, Tom Curry and Daniel du Preez returns to the field this weekend with the loose forwards looking to make amends for a disappointing evening in Twickenham last Friday.

The mercurial Faf de Klerk retains his number nine shirt ahead of the visit from table-toppers Exeter. The World Cup-winning Springbok will link up with fellow South African Rob du Preez for the sixth time this season.

Scotland flyer Byron McGuigan, Marland Yarde and Simon Hammersley complete an experienced Sale XV ahead of one of the club’s most important games of the season.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs have stuck with a largely unchanged starting line-up. An ankle injury to centre Ollie Devoto means the England international misses out this time round, so Ian Whitten is promoted from the bench to fill the void in midfield.

Wing Alex Cuthbert also returns to the starting line-up for the first time since November. The Welsh international has now fully recovered from shoulder surgery and replaces Tom O’Flaherty.

Up front, changes see Ben Moon start at loosehead in place of Alec Hepburn, while Jacques Vermeulen replaces compatriot Jannes Kirsten in the back-row.

Kirsten drops to the bench in place of Don Armand, Billy Keast is added as back-up at prop, while Tom Hendrickson comes into the void left by Whitten.

Form: Sale Sharks’ restart defeat to Harlequins ended a run of three successive Premiership Rugby victories. The Sharks’ only loss at the AJ Bell Stadium in the last 12 months in the Premiership was 16-18 to Gloucester on the opening round this season. Exeter Chiefs’ only defeat in the last five rounds of Premiership Rugby was 30-34 to Harlequins at Twickenham Stoop on 29 February. That defeat was the Chiefs’ first on the road in any tournament since October 2019. Sale beat Exeter 22-19 at Sandy Park in Round 9 but have never before achieved a league double over the Devonians in the same season. The Chiefs have won on their last four visits to AJ Bell Stadium in all tournaments.

The teams:

Sale: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Byron McGuigan, 13 Sam James, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Marland Yarde, 10 Rob du Preez, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Jono Ross (c) 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Jean-Luc du Preez, 3 Will-Griff John, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Coenie Oosthuizen
Replacements: 16 Curtis Langdon, 17 Ross Harrison, 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 19 James Phillips, 20 Ben Curry, 21 Will Cliff, 22 AJ MacGinty, 23 Denny Solomona

Exeter: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ian Whitten, 11 Olly Woodburn, 10 Joe Simmonds (c), 9 Jack Maunder, 8 Sam Simmonds, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Jonny Gray, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ben Moon
Replacements: 16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Billy Keast, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Sam Skinner, 20 Jannes Kirsten, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Gareth Steenson, 23 Tom Hendrickson

Date: Friday, August 21
Venue: AJ Bell Stadium
Kick-off: 18:00 BST (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant referees: Tom Foley, Jack Makepeace
TMO: Trevor Fisher

Gloucester v Bristol Bears

Lewis Ludlow will continue as the Cherry & White skipper as George Skivington makes two changes to the starting line-up than ran out at Sixways last week.

Matt Garvey comes into the pack for his first start for the club, while Louis Rees-Zammit is the second change to the starting XV as the flying youngster starts at full-back.

On the bench, Franco Marais returns and a debut awaits for on-loan lock, Danny Drake.

After impressive appearances last week, academy duo Jack Clement and Stephen Varney retain their places on the bench.

Meanwhile, Bristol hand first starts to a trio of new arrivals as Pat Lam’s men head to Kingsholm.

Saracens loan duo Max Malins and Ben Earl both earn first starts, while Kyle Sinckler is also named in the starting line-up to face Gloucester in the West Country derby.

With three games in eight days, director of rugby Pat Lam shuffles his pack, making seven changes from the side that overcame Saracens last weekend in a sixth successive Premiership win.

In the backline, Alapati Leiua and Andy Uren earn starts, while Harry Thacker and Joe Joyce are named in the pack.

Tiff Eden and Bristolian duo Yann Thomas and Will Capon come onto the bench and could make their first outing since the competition restart.

Form: Gloucester’s 44-15 victory at Worcester on Saturday was a great start for new head coach George Skivington as it ended a run of six successive defeats in all competitions. The Cherry & Whites have lost their last two fixtures at Kingsholm since beating Montpellier there in the Champions Cup on 11 January. Bristol are in the midst of their best-ever Premiership Rugby run having won their last six matches in the competition. The Bears have won their last two away games, at Northampton and at Bath. Bristol have won their last four matches against Gloucester in all competitions, but all matches were played at Ashton Gate. The Bears’ last victory at Kingsholm was in March 2006, six defeats ago.

The teams:

Gloucester: 15 Louis Rees-Zammit, 14 Ollie Thorley, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Jonny May, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Jake Polledri 7 Lewis Ludlow (c), 6 Ruan Ackermann, 5 Matt Garvey, 4 Ed Slater, 3 Fraser Balmain, 2 Jack Singleton, 1 Val Rapava-Ruskin
Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Logovi’I Mulipola, 18 Jack Stanley, 19 Danny Drake, 20 Jack Clement, 21 Stephen Varney, 22 Tom Seabrook, 23 Charlie Sharples

Bristol: 15 Max Malins, 14 Alapati Leiua, 13 Semi Radradra, 12 Siale Piutau, 11 Henry Purdy, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 Ben Earl, 6 Steven Luatua (c), 5 Chris Vui, 4 Joe Joyce, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Harry Thacker, 1 Jake Woolmore
Replacements: 16 Will Capon, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 Ed Holmes, 20 Dan Thomas, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Tiff Eden, 23 Luke Morahan

Date: Friday, August 21
Venue: Kingsholm
Kick-off: 19:45 BST (18:45 GMT)
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant referees: Phil Watters, Dean Richards
TMO: Claire Hodnett

Wasps v Worcester Warriors

Lee Blackett has named his side for Wasps’ first game back at Ricoh Arena, as they host Worcester Warriors on Friday.

Ben Vellacott and Ryan Mills make their first Wasps starts, having come off the bench to make their debuts in the win over Northampton Saints last week.

There are two potential Premiership debutants in the 23, as Alfie Barbeary and Theo Vukasinovic are named amongst the replacements.

For Worcester, they will give Premiership debuts to three current or recent members of the academy against Wasps.

Wing Noah Heward will have his first taste of senior rugby with scrum-half Gareth Simpson and lock James Scott, who recently graduated to the senior squad at Sixways, also making their competition debuts.

There are four more potential competition debutants among the replacements in former Oxford University tighthead prop Joe Morris, lock Justin Clegg, former Saracens centre Oli Morris – another current senior academy member – and back-row forward Caleb Montgomery in line for match action.

Montgomery made two appearances in the Premiership Rugby Cup at the start of the season but has not played since October because of a hand injury.

A much-changed squad includes 14 players who have either graduated from the Warriors academy or who are currently on the programme.

None of the side who started against Gloucester will be involved against Wasps but Scotland internationals Duncan Weir and Cornell du Preez, South Africa centre Francois Venter, hooker Beck Cutting, tighthead prop Richard Palframan and back-row forward GJ van Velze, who came off the bench at the weekend, all start.

Chris Pennell replaces the suspended Melani Nanai at full-back and loosehead prop Callum Black returns to action for the first time since he sustained a foot injury at Saracens in early January.

Form: Wasps have won their last four Premiership Rugby matches, their best run in the competition since 2017. Wasps have won their last two fixtures at Ricoh Arena but have not won three in succession at the venue since April 2018. Worcester Warriors have slipped to seven successive Premiership Rugby defeats, their worst sequence since 2017. The Warriors’ only away win in the league this season was at Harlequins in Round 4. Wasps have won their last 11 fixtures against Worcester in Premiership Rugby since the Warriors’ 29-23 victory at Sixways in March 2013, whilst Worcester have been defeated on all six previous occasions they have visited Ricoh Arena in all tournaments.

The teams:

Wasps: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Paolo Odogwu, 13 Michael Le Bourgeois, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Marcus Watson, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Ben Vellacott, 8 Tom Willis, 7 Gabriel Oghre, 6 Ben Morris, 5 James Gaskell (c), 4 Tim Cardall, 3 Biyi Alo, 2 Tom Cruse, 1 Simon McIntyre
Replacements: 16 Alfie Barbeary, 17 Tom West, 18 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 19 Theo Vukasinovic, 20 Sione Vailanu, 21 Sam Wolstenholme, 22 Jacob Umaga, 23 Matteo Minozzi

Worcester: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Noah Heward, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Will Butler (c), 11 Nick David, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Gareth Simpson, 8 Cornell du Preez, 7 Tom Dodd, 6 GJ van Velze, 5 Andrew Kitchener, 4 James Scott, 3 Richard Palframan, 2 Beck Cutting, 1 Callum Black
Replacements: 16 Isaac Miller, 17 Lewis Holsey, 18 Joe Morris, 19 Justin Clegg, 20 Caleb Montgomery, 21 Jono Kitto, 22 Jamie Shillcock, 23 Oli Morris

Date: Friday, August 21
Venue: Ricoh Arena
Kick-off: 19:45 BST (18:45 GMT)
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
Assistant referees: Adam Leal, Rob Warburton
TMO: Keith Lewis

 

Bristol