Premiership weekly previews: Round 5

With World Cup stars returning and almost a quarter of the season now completed, the Premiership is already entering a crucial phase. 

Exeter currently lead the league table after an impressive start to the season, but face a challenging trip to Franklin’s Gardens to take on Northampton, who are strong at home.

Bath look a transformed team with Finn Russell pulling the strings, and will be in action against Gloucester on Friday against in a highly anticipated West-Country derby at Kingsholm. 

Bristol are determined to bounce back from back-to-back losses against last year’s finalists Sale at Ashton Gate on Saturday, while Leicester are awaiting the return of their World Cup stars for a crucial fixture against Harlequins at Welford Road on Saturday.

Winless Newcastle face the daunting prospect of hosting the reigning champions Saracens, who are at full-strength with their international stars impressing on their return from the World Cup against Leicester last weekend.

Matthew Luddington looks ahead to the fifth round of the Gallagher Premiership. 

Gloucester vs Bath, Friday 10 November (7:45pm kick-off, TNT Sports) 

The Cherry and Whites are receiving a significant boost with the return of three World Cup stars; Pumas Santi Carreras and Matias Alemanno, and the prolific Jonny May, have re-entered training and could start in the crucial West-Country derby.

Carreras is poised to take on the pivotal role of fly-half, and will try to ignite a struggling Gloucester attack which has only managed to score one try in its last two matches, while Louis Rees-Zammit is back in training, though he might not have fully recovered from a shoulder injury sustained during Wales’ quarter-final defeat to Argentina. 

George Skivington rested key players such as club captain Lewis Ludlow, Ollie Thorley, Seb Atkinson, and Stephen Varney in their recent loss to Sale, with an eye on this vital fixture, and all will be fresh and raring to go with local bragging rights at stake. The loss of former Bath man Zach Mercer to an ankle injury will be a blow for the Gloucester coach however.

Finn Russell’s absence was keenly felt in Bath’s narrow loss at Franklin’s Gardens, and Bath fans will be eagerly anticipating his return for this important match under the lights.

Gloucester humiliated Bath 64-0 two seasons ago in this fixture, however, last year, Bath won at Kingsholm, demonstrating their progress under Johann Van Graan.

Bristol vs Sale, Saturday 11 November (2:30pm kick-off) 

England stars Kyle Sinckler and Max Malins are set to return to Premiership action for Bristol, who came up empty-handed in their recent trip to Sandy Park, despite the brilliance of Rich Lane’s hat-trick.

Pat Lam expressed his frustration over the missed kicks that cost his side ten points, and will look to resolve this issue, in addition to increasing the Bears’ share of possession to unleash the full potential of their talented backline.

However Bristol’s next challenge is a daunting one as they take on last year’s finalists Sale, who displayed their dominance by overpowering Gloucester at the AJ Bell last weekend.

After a six-month absence, Ben Curry marked his return to the team with a try, and there’s the potential for him to be joined by his brother Tom and the formidable Manu Tuilagi, both fresh off their World Cup exploits. 

This match promises to be a clash of contrasting philosophies and playing styles, with Pat Lam and Alex Sanderson at the helm. Sale have held the upper hand in recent times, having emerged victorious in the last four encounters between the sides. 

Leicester vs Harlequins, Saturday 11 November (3:05pm kick-off, TNT Sports) 

Several World Cup stars, including Ben Youngs, Handre Pollard, Freddie Steward, Julian Montoya, George Martin, and Dan Cole, could return for the Tigers in their crucial fixture against Harlequins.

Leicester have struggled so far this season and currently find themselves in ninth place in the Premiership table, already trailing second-placed Harlequins by nine points in this shortened season, and they know that victory is paramount.  

In contrast, Harlequins enter this fixture in exceptional form, coming off an impressive 40-12 victory over Newcastle.

A standout moment was Tyrone Green’s remarkable try, where he executed a full-stretch dive to collect and touch down Marcus Smith’s cross-kick in an early contender for try of the season, and Harlequins could further strengthen their starting line-up by naming World Cup stars Smith, Danny Care, Andre Esterhuizen, and Joe Marler.

Saturday’s showdown carries all the excitement of a heavyweight battle, as both teams are set to showcase their international star power. The Tigers find themselves in dire need of a triumph, with the fervent Welford Road crowd looking to help ignite their season. 

Newcastle vs Saracens, Sunday 12 November (3:00pm kick-off) 

Reigning champions Saracens face off the Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park, in a David vs Goliath clash.

The Falcons have lost all of their four Premiership games this season, and sit bottom, but could field four Argentina World Cup returnees – Eduardo Bello, Mateo Carreras, Pedro Rubiolo, and Matias Moroni as coach Alex Codling seeks to orchestrate a colossal upset.

Saracens have dominated this match-up, winning their last 24 encounters against the Falcons, with Newcastle’s last triumph dating back to February 2009. 

Mark McCall, Saracens’ head coach, expressed his pride in the seven England players who made an impressive return to the club last week after a four-month absence.

Maro Itoje notched the game’s opening try and was awarded man of the match, Jamie George and Billy Vunipola also scored, while Owen Farrell contributed 12 crucial points from the tee.

Despite a sluggish start to the season, it appears that the Saracens juggernaut is regaining its momentum, however a trip to Kingston Park, in what are set to be wet conditions, is always challenging.  

Northampton vs Exeter, Sunday 12 November (3:00pm kick-off, TNT Sports) 

Saints are set to welcome back England stars Alex Mitchell and Courtney Lawes this week, but the impressive performances of Tom James and Angus Scott-Young could leave Phil Dowson with some difficult decisions to make regarding his starting line-up.

Dowson praised the resilience and determination of his team as they managed to fend off Bath in the dying minutes sealed with a crucial turnover from Sam Graham, securing a hard-fought victory, reminiscent of Tom James’ critical turnover in Round 3 at Kingston Park. 

These recent successes suggest that Northampton may have developed a newfound resilience and defensive stability this season. However, their true mettle will be put to the test by Exeter, a team that has scored an astonishing 23 tries in just four matches this season. 

The youthful Chiefs have undeniably been the standout performers of the season so far. They topped their Premiership Rugby Cup pool and have also surged to the top of the Premiership table, playing scintillating rugby. 

Rob Baxter, Exeter’s head coach, downplayed the importance of the table at this stage, highlighting that the Chiefs have yet to secure an away victory. He believes that Sunday’s clash at Franklin’s Gardens against Northampton is a significant challenge for his team.

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