TEAMS: Round 3 of the Premiership

The third round of the Premiership season sees a double helping of action take place on Friday night when Northampton host Harlequins and Bristol welcome Sale to Ashton Gate.

Leicester Tigers seek to end their winless start against unbeaten Gloucester as one of three matches in the 3pm Saturday kick-off slot.

Saracens return to Allianz Park for the first time since losing to Northampton on the opening weekend, as the reigning champions face London Irish.

Dai Young knows it is ‘important to get a win on the table and start building momentum’ for Wasps to get their season off the ground. The Wasps director of rugby hopes to use home-field advantage to edge past Bath, who are coming off the high of a win over Exeter Chiefs. Back the Chiefs to win again by checking these tips to beat the bookmakers.

As for the Chiefs, they bookend the weekend’s action with a trip to Sixways Stadium to play Worcester Warriors.

Northampton Saints v Harlequins (Friday, 7.45pm kick-off)

Northampton Saints: 15 George Furbank, 14 Tom Collins, 13 Rory Hutchinson, 12 Andrew Symons, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 James Grayson, 9 Henry Taylor; 1 Ben Franks, 2 Mike Haywood, 3 Ehren Painter, 4 David Ribbans, 5 Alex Moon, 6 Tom Wood, 7 Jamie Gibson, 8 Teimana Harrison (capt)

Replacements: 16 Michael van Vuuren, 17 Alex Waller, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Api Ratuniyarawa, 20 Alex Coles, 21 Connor Tupai, 22 Fraser Dingwall, 23 Ollie Sleightholme

Harlequins: 15 Aaron Morris, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Gabriel Ibitoye, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Martin Landajo; 1 Mark Lambert, 2 Elia Elia, 3 Simon Kerrod, 4 Stephan Lewies, 5 Matt Symons, 6 James Chisholm, 7 Chris Robshaw (capt), 8 Alex Dombrandt

Replacements: 16 Scott Baldwin, 17 Nick Auterac, 18 Will Collier, 19 Dino Lamb, 20 Renaldo Bothma, 21 Charlie Mulchrone, 22 Brett Herron, 23 Michele Campagnaro

Venue: Franklin’s Gardens

Referee: JP Doyle

Bristol Bears v Sale Sharks (Friday, 7.45pm kick-off)

Bristol Bears: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Piers O’Conor, 12 Siale Piutau, 11 Luke Daniels, 10 Callumhaywood Sheedy, 9 Andy Uren; 1 Jake Woolmore, 2 Shaun Malton, 3 John Afoa, 4 Dave Attwood, 5 Chris Vui, 6 Steven Luatua (capt), 7 Jake Heenan, 8 Nathan Hughes

Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 Ed Holmes, 20 Dan Thomas, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Ioan Lloyd, 23 Will Hurrell

Sale Sharks: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 Cameron Redpath, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Byron McGuigan, 10 Rob du Preez, 9 Will Cliff; 1 Ross Harrison, 2 Rob Webber, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 4 Josh Beaumont, 5 Bryn Evans, 6 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Jono Ross (capt), 8 Daniel du Preez

Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Valery Morozov, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 James Phillips, 20 Cameron Neild, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 AJ MacGinty, 23 Luke James

Venue: Ashton Gate

Referee: Christophe Ridley

Leicester Tigers v Gloucester (Saturday, 3.00pm kick-off)

Leicester Tigers: 15 Telusa Veainu, 14 Jonah Holmes, 13 Andy Forsyth, 12 Tom Hardwick, 11 Jordan Olowofela, 10 Noel Reid, 9 Sam Harrison; 1 Greg Bateman, 2 Tom Youngs (capt), 3 Nephi Leatigaga, 4 Harry Wells, 5 Calum Green, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Guy Thompson, 8 Sione Kalamafoni

Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 Facundo Gigena, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Tomas 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; 1 Josh Hohneck, 2 Franco Marais, 3 Fraser Balmain, 4 Ed Slater (capt), 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 6 Ruan Ackermann, 7 Jake Polledri, 8 Ben Morgan

Replacements: 16 Corne 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

Referee: Ian Tempest

Saracens v London Irish (Saturday, 3.00pm kick-off)

Saracens: 15 Matt Gallagher, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Alex Lozowski, 12 Duncan Taylor, 11 Rotimi Segun, 10 Manu Vunipola, 9 Richard Wigglesworth; 1 Richard Barrington, 2 Tom Woolstencroft, 3 Titi Lamositele, 4 Will Skelton, 5 Callum Hunter-Hill, 6 Nick Isiekwe, 7 Ben Earl, 8 Jackson Wray (capt)

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; 1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, 2 Saia Fainga’a, 3 Ollie Hoskins, 4 Ruan Botha, 5 Franco van der Merwe (capt), 6 Blair Cowan, 7 TJ Ioane, 8 Albert Tuisue

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

Referee: Adam Leal

Wasps v Bath (Saturday, 3.00pm kick-off)

Wasps: 15 Matteo Minozzi, 14 Zach Kibirige, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Jimmy Gopperth, 11 Paolo Odogwu, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Dan Robson (capt); 1 Zurabi Zhvania, 2 Tommy Taylor, 3 Kieran Brookes, 4 James Gaskell, 5 Will Rowlands, 6 Brad Shields, 7 Nizaam Carr, 8 Sione Vailanu

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; 1 Lewis Boyce, 2 Jack Walker, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Elliott Stooke, 5 Charlie Ewels (capt), 6 Mike Williams, 7 Josh Bayliss, 8 Zach Mercer

Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Josh McInally, 20 Tom Ellis, 21 Ollie Fox, 22 Alex Davies, 23 Gabriel Hamer-Webb

Venue: Ricoh Arena

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe

Worcester Warriors v Exeter Chiefs (Sunday, 3.00pm kick-off)

Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Perry Humphreys, 13 Ashley Beck, 12 Ryan Mills (capt), 11 Melani Nanai, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Michael Heaney; 1 Callum Black, 2 Niall Annett, 3 Conor Carey, 4 Anton Bresler, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Sam Lewis, 8 Cornell du Preez

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; 1 Alec Hepburn, 2 Jack Yeandle, 3 Harry Williams, 4 Dave Dennis, 5 Jonny Hill, 6 Dave Ewers, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 8 Matt Kvesic

Replacements: 16 Elvis Taoine, 17 Billy Keast, 18 Marcus Street, 19 Jannes Kirsten, 20 Sean Lonsdale, 21 Nic White, 22 Gareth Steenson, 23 Tom Hendrickson

Venue: Sixways Stadium

Referee: Tom Foley