Premiership: Julian Montoya and Jasper Wiese to start for Leicester against Sale, Ollie Lawrence to make Bath debut
The teams have been named for this weekend’s Premiership games, including the clash between the defending champions, Leicester Tigers, and unbeaten Sale Sharks at Welford Road on Saturday.
Check out the teams and our predictions for all of the weekend’s games, here.
Bristol Bears v Exeter Chiefs
Form: Bristol Bears’ 100% winning record in Premiership Rugby this season ended with their 15-30 loss at Newcastle Falcons last Friday. The Bears have not lost at Ashton Gate in Premiership Rugby since Harlequins were the visitors on 13 March. Exeter Chiefs’ four game winning run in Premiership Rugby ended with their 20-28 reversal at Sale on Saturday. Exeter have won just once away from home in Premiership Rugby since February: 36- 21 at Worcester Warriors in Round Two. The last six meetings between the two clubs in Premiership Rugby have been evenly shared with three wins apiece. Exeter have visited Ashton Gate on nine previous occasions against all opponents and have only lost once: 33-40 to Bristol in Premiership Rugby in May. This figure also includes their European Champions Cup final victory over Racing 92 in 2020.
Prediction: Exeter by 5
The teams:
Bristol: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Toby Fricker, 13 Piers O’Conor, 12 Sam Bedlow, 11 Rich Lane, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Harry Randall, 8 Magnus Bradbury, 7 Jake Heenan (c), 6 Chris Vui, 5 Joe Joyce, 4 John Hawkins, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Will Capon, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Jake Kerr, 17 Jake Woolmore, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 Ed Holmes, 20 Dan Thomas, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 AJ MacGinty, 23 Jack Bates
Exeter: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Rory O’Loughlin, 11 Olly Woodburn, 10 Joe Simmonds, 9 Jack Maunder, 8 Richard Capstick, 7 Christ Tshiunza, 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Jannes Kirsten, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Jack Yeandle (c), 1 Alec Hepburn
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Josh Iosefa-Scott, 18 Patrick Schickerling, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Dave Ewers, 21 Sam Maunder, 22 Harvey Skinner, 23 Solomone Kata
Venue: Ashton Gate
Kick-off: 19:45 BST (18:45 GMT)
Referee: Christophe Ridley
Assistant referees: Joe James, Peter Allan
TMO: David Rose
Saturday
Bath v Gloucester
Form: Bath have lost their last five Premiership Rugby matches since beating London Irish 27-24 at the Recreation Ground in May. Bath’s record at the Rec in Premiership Rugby in 2022 is won four, drawn one, lost four. Gloucester’s two matches in Premiership Rugby this season were a 27-21 victory at home to Wasps in Round One and a narrow defeat 39-41 at Saracens in Round Three. Gloucester have lost their last six away games in Premiership Rugby since beating Newcastle 32-22 at Kingston Park on January 29. Gloucester easily won both encounters with Bath in Premiership Rugby last season whilst Bath’s most recent victory over their local rivals was 16-14 at the Rec in February 2021. Gloucester have won on their last two visits to the Rec in all competitions.
Prediction: Gloucester by 10
The teams:
Bath: 15 Matt Gallagher, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Gabriel Hamer-Webb, 10 Piers Francis, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Nahum Merigan, 7 Miles Reid, 6 Tom Ellis, 5 Quinn Roux, 4 Dave Attwood, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Tom Dunn (c), 1 Juan Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Arthur Cordwell, 18 Aranos Coetzee, 19 Ewan Richards, 20 Richard De Carpentier, 21 Max Green, 22 Orlando Bailey, 23 Will Butt
Gloucester: 15 Lloyd Evans, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 Giorgi Kveseladze, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Santiago Carreras, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 Ben Meehan, 8 Albert Tuisue, 7 Lewis Ludlow, 6 Ruan Ackermann, 5 Matias Alemanno, 4 Freddie Clarke, 3 Fraser Balmain, 2 Santiago Socino, 1 Val Rapava-Ruskin
Replacements: 16 Jack Singleton, 17 Ciaran Knight, 18 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 19 Cam Jordan, 20 Jordy Reid, 21 Charlie Chapman, 22 Jack Reeves, 23 Jonny May
Venue: Recreation Ground
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant referees: Mike Hudson, George Selwood
TMO: Rowan Kitt
Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks
Form: Leicester Tigers’ record in Premiership Rugby this season is won two, lost two. The Tigers have won their last 14 home games in Premiership Rugby their best run in the competition at Welford Road since 2010. Sale Sharks have won all five matches they have played in all competitions this season. The Sharks have won their last six encounters in Premiership Rugby since their 12-18 defeat at home to Saracens on April 1. Sale’s only defeat in their last six away games in Premiership Rugby was 12-19 at Exeter Chiefs on 6 March. Sale have lost just one of their last seven fixtures with the Tigers in Premiership Rugby: 11-19 in this equivalent fixture at Welford Road last October. Sale have lost on their last two visits to Leicester in all competitions
Prediction: Sale by 7
The teams:
Leicester: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Matt Scott, 12 Jimmy Gopperth, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Hanro Liebenberg (c), 6 George Martin, 5 Calum Green, 4 Harry Wells, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Julián Montoya, 1 James Cronin
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 Nephi Leatigaga, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Eli Snyman, 20 Olly Cracknell, 21 Jack van Poortvliet, 22 Phil Cokanasiga, 23 Anthony Watson
Sale: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Sam James, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Tom O’Flaherty, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Gus Warr, 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Tom Curry (c), 6 Jono Ross, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Nick Schoner, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Bevan Rodd
Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Josh Beaumonts, 20 Sam Dugdale, 21 Raffi Quirke, 22 Sam Hill, 23 Arron Reed
Venue: Welford Road
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant referees: Simon Harding, Alex Thomas
TMO: Andrew Jackson
Sunday
Newcastle Falcons v Saracens
Prediction: Saracens by 15
The teams:
Newcastle: 15 Tom Penny, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Matias Orlando, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Sam Stuart, 8 Callum Chick, 7 Connor Collett, 6 Will Welch (c), 5 Sean Robinson, 4 Greg Peterson, 3 Trevor Davison, 2 George McGuigan, 1 Adam Brocklebank
Replacements: 16 Jamie Blamire, 17 Logovi’i Mulipola, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 Sebastian de Chaves, 20 Freddie Lockwood, 21 Michael Young, 22 Pete Lucock, 23 Ben Stevenson
Saracens: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Max Malins, 13 Alex Lozowski, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Alex Lewington, 10 Owen Farrell (c), 9 Ivan Van Zyl, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Ben Earl, 6 Jackson Wray, 5 Theo McFarland, 4 Callum Hunter-Hill, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Kapeli Pifeleti, 1 Mako Vunipola
Replacements: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Eroni Mawi, 18 Alec Clarey, 19 Hugh Tizard, 20 Andy Christie, 21 Ruben de Haas, 22 Alex Goode, 23 Josh Hallett
Venue: Kingston Park
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant referees: Nick Wood, Jamie Leahy
TMO: Stuart Terheegee
Wasps v Northampton Saints
Prediction: Northampton by 5
The teams:
Wasps: 15 Jacob Umaga, 14 Paolo Odogwu, 13 Burger Odendaal, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Charlie Atkinson, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Tom Willis, 7 Jack Willis, 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Kiran McDonald, 4 Joe Launchbury (c), 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 1 Robin Hislo
Replacements: 16 Dan Frost, 17 Rodrigo Martinez, 18 John Ryan, 19 Tim Cardall, 20 Ben Morris, 21 Will Porter, 22 Will Haydon-Wood, 23 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
Northampton: 15 George Furbank, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Matt Proctor, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Sam Graham, 7 Lewis Ludlam (c), 6 Alex Coles, 5 Alex Moon, 4 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 3 Paul Hill, 2 Sam Matavesi, 1 Alex Waller
Replacements: 16 Robbie Smith, 17 Ethan Waller, 18 Alfie Petch, 19 David Ribbans, 20 Juarno Augustus, 21 Tom James, 22 Rory Hutchinson, 23 Courtnall Skosan
Venue: Coventry Building Society Arena
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Adam Leal
Assistant referees: Andrew Jackson, John Meredith
TMO: Claire Hodnett
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