Premiership Round 2: preview and predictions

Bath v London Wasps
Lee Mears will make his 250^th appearance tomorrow in a Bath side with two changes from the team that claimed their 24-23 win at Worcester last week.
Simon Taylor returns from injury to replace Francois Louw, who is on international duty with South Africa, while Nathan Catt comes in for Paul James at loose-head.
Following the extraordinary 42-40 loss to Quins, Wasps will be keen to put on a 80 minutes performance at the Rec in different condition compare to last week.
Head coach Dai Young said: “Bath will be a complete different challenge for us and will test another aspect of our game.
“We will have to roll our sleeves up and meet fire with fire to earn the right to play the attacking rugby we enjoy.”
Tom Palmer will make his first competitive start for Wasps since his return to the club after three years in France while Chris Bell replaces the injured Andrea Masi at inside centre.
Bath: Abendanon, Biggs, Hipkiss, Banahan, Eastmond; Barkley, Claassens; Catt, Mears, Wilson; Hooper (capt.), Day; Taylor, Fearns, Skirving.
Replacements: Batty, James, Palma-Newport, Attwood, Ovens, McMillan, Devoto, Cuthbert
London Wasps: Southwell (capt.); Wade, Daly, C. Bell, Varndell; Robinson, Simpson; Payne, Lindsay, Staibano; Wentzel, Palmer; Haskell, Poff, Vunipola.
Replacements: Thomas, McIntyre, Taulafo, Launchbury, Johnson, Davies, T. Bell, Mayor.
Predictions: Wasps will hold on tight and let the storm go by to unleash their speedsters out wide in the second half to steal it.
London Irish v Gloucester
London Irish winger Topsy Ojo is adamant that field position will be key if they want to dominate Gloucester in what looks like a crucial game for both team after their 40-3 and 24-19 losses to Saracens and Northampton respectively.
He said: “Saracens put us under a lot of pressure last week and we were never in a good field position to bring our backs into the game.
“This will be key against Gloucester who also have a good backline. We need to get that right this week. If we get the right platform and can use our back line we can cause a lot of trouble.
“We need to put last week behind us and show the true colour of London Irish.”
They see the return of club captain Declan Danaher who comes in at blindside for Jamie Gibson in the only change in the starting XV.
Tomas O’Leary and Steven Shingler will lead a lethal back line if they manage to get into the game.
Gloucester welcomes the return of Henry Trinder at outside centre to complete a back line just as fast and dangerous as its opponent.
Captain Jim Hamilton has recovered from an ankle injury and returns at lock while Shaun Knight makes his first Premiership start at tight head replacing Rupert Harden.
London Irish: Homer; Ojo, Joseph, Tagicakibau, Yarde; Shingler,  O’Leary; Lahiff, Lawson, Halavatau; Skivington, Evans; Danaher (capt.), Treviranus, Fisher
Replacements: Blaney, Aulika, Ryan, Low, Gray, Watson, Geraghty, Moates.
Gloucester: May; Sharples, Trinder, Twelvetrees, Simpson-Daniel; Burns, Robson; Wood, Dawidiuk, Knight; James, Hamilton (capt.); Savage, Hazell, Morgan.
Replacements: Edmonds, Murphy, Harden, Kalamafoni, Qera, Lewis, Tindall, Thomas.
Predictions: These two will flat out at each other. But once they tire, the likes of Gray, Watson and Geraghty will come off the bench and thrive in broken play to clinch the win for Irish.
Harlequins v London Welsh
England winger Ugo Monye returns on his beloved left wing for Quins but Danny Care is dropped to the bench for the reception of the Premiership newcomers and replaced by Karl Dickson.
Tom Guest, who spurred the Champions’ comeback last week with his charged down, comes at No.8 for Nick Easter who is on the bench.
On the bench Darryl Marfo and England U20 Kyle Sinckler offer cover in the front row.
Meanwhile, Mike Denbee and Ed Jackson will try to compete with the ruthless Quins’ back row from openside and No.8 while Matt Corker and new signing Tyson Keats get the nod at lock and scrum-half for London Welsh.
Harlequins: Brown; Williams, Lowe, Turner-Hall, Monye; Evans, Dickson; Marler, Gray, Johnston; Kohn, Robson; Fa’asavalu, Robshaw (capt.), Guest.
Replacements: Buchanan, Marfo, Sinckler, Matthews, Easter, Care, Botica, Hopper.
London Welsh: Arscott; Mackenzie, Parker, Tonga’uiha, Ajuwa; Ross, Keats; Montanella, Briggs, Ion; Mills (capt.), Corker; Browne, Denbee, Jackson.
Replacements: George, Bristow, Joly, Kulemin, To’oala, Runciman, Jewell, Scott
Predictions: Confidence will be at a record high for the Champions and the London Welsh’s hearts will not be able to prevent another five points for Quins.
Leicester v Worcester
Kiwi winger Scott Hamilton is set for his 100th starting appearance for Leicester while Sam Harrison steps in for the injured Micky Young at scrum-half.
Props Boris Stankovich and Martin Castrogiovanni and lock Graham Kitchener all return to the forward pack for their first starts of the season.
Leicester have showed how lethal they can be when they want but they will be looking to put on a much more consistent performance for their first home game of the season.
Like Hamilton, Warriors scrum-half Jonny Arr is also set to play his 100th game for his club in the same matchday squad than the one who narrowly lost 23-24 to the Saints at Sixways last week.
Leicester: Murphy (capt.); Hamilton, Tuilagi, Allen, Goneva; Flood, Harrison; Stankovich, Youngs, Castrogiovanni; Kitchener, Parling; Mafi, Salvi, Waldrom,
Replacements: Hawkins, Mulipola, Cole, Andrew, Crane, Phibbs, Ford, Smith.
Worcester: Pennell; Drauniniu, Grove, Matavesi, Lemi; Goode, Perry; Mullan, Lutui, Andress; Percival, Schofield (capt.); Ch. Jones, Betty, Taulava.
Replacements: Hayes, Ce. Jones, Currie, Gillies, Kvesic, Arr, Carlisle, Howard.
Predictions: The Tigers won’t want to disappoint their fans at home and will keep their foot down all game to claim a big win.
Northampton v Exeter
Strong of their 24-19 win at Gloucester last week, Northampton have named the same starting line up with the Pisi brothers ready to fire the Saints back line at Franklin Gardens on Sunday.
Exeter will also be full of confidence after their 43-6 thumping of Sale at Sandy Park.
They have been force to make a positional change after centre Jason Shoemark sustained an injury which see Jason Dollman move to inside centre and Luke Arscott come in at full-back.
Flying Fijian Sireli Naqelevuki returns on the bench as one of their option in the back three.
Northampton: Foden; K. Pisi, G.Pisi, Waldouck, Artemeyev; Lamb, Dickson; Tonga’uiha, Hartley (capt.), Mujati; Manoa, Day; Dowson, Wood, Van Velze.
Replacements: Haywood, Waller, Mercey, Sorenson, Oakley, Roberts, Myler, Burrell.
Exeter: Arscott; Tatupu, Whitten, Dollman, Jess; Mieres, Chudley; Sturgess, Whitehead,  Mitchell; Hayes (capt.), Muldowney; Johnson, Scaysbrook, Baxter.
Replacements: Alcott, Moon, Budgen, Hanks, Phillips, Barrett, Steenson, Naqelevuki
Predictions: The Chiefs will hope to bring their Sandy Park spirit in the bus but the Saints won’t give up as easily as the Sharks. It will be a close one but I’m going for a Northampton win.
Sale v Saracens
Danny Cipriany will make his competitive debut for the Sharks and there is no doubt they will be eager to make amend after being trashed by Exeter last week.
Mark Cueto return to the starting XV on the left wing while Richie Vernon replaces the injured Andy Powell.
Following his historical display last week, Charlie Hodgson remains at fly-half for Saracens who see the return of Alastair Hargreaves and Owen Farrell on the bench after they overcame minor knocks.
Sale: Miller; Addison, Leota, Tuitupou, Cueto; Cipriani, Peel; Lewis-Roberts, Ward, Cobilas; Gray, Myall; Gaskell, Seymour (capt.), Vernon.
Replacements: Taylor, Dickinson, Thomas, McKenzie, Easter, Cliff,  Macleod, Uys.
Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Tomkins, Barritt, Wyles; Hodgson, Wigglesworth; Vunipola, Brits, du Plessis; Borthwick (capt.), Botha; Brown, Fraser, Joubert.
Replacements: George, Saunders, Nieto, Hargreaves, Wray, de Kock, Farrell, Short.
Predictions: The hunter will become the hunted and it will be another long day at the office for the Sharks if they don’t front up. Saracens will be ruthless up front as usual and now they can even score tries. They will win.
Read all the reports in Sunday’s edition of The Rugby Paper while there will be live updates of the Northampton v Exeter game on our Twitter and Website.