By Charlie Elliott
The Gallagher Premiership will be a different place this weekend, with England call-ups being unavailable for their clubs, except for Henry Slade.
There are likely to be some surprise performances from teams and players, and possibly a few shocks on the cards.
Here are five things that you need to look out for:
Chiefs’ first win on the cards?
Winless Exeter Chiefs are at home to Harlequins on Sunday, in a game in which the away side would likely be favourites under most circumstances.
However, with the Autumn Internationals selected players being unavailable for this weekend, there may be an opening for Chiefs.
Quins have six players away with Steve Borthwick’s squad in Girona, and while Exeter have had two players selected for the squad, centre Henry Slade has been released from the squad to get some minutes under his belt.
Slade will be eager to impress, and it will be a massive boost to the team not having him away.
They have started the season with some unlucky results, and Harlequins are yet to win away, so it is a great chance for Exeter to break the duck and cement themselves as not being the worst team in the league (not a very high bar).
Exciting youngster makes debut for Saints
20-year-old George Makepeace-Cubitt will make his debut for Northampton at fly-half when they face Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate.
He has got big shoes to fill, with England international Fin Smith usually wearing the ten shirt.
In March he was the only player in the England under-20s squad to not be attached to a Prem team, with him playing for Rams RFC at the time.
This previous experience may be valuable, with him clearly being an adaptable player who is good in unfamiliar scenarios, and hopefully, this will lend well to him having to understand the Bristolian accent on Friday.
George got the nod over Charlie Savala and will hope to put in a performance that cements himself as a key backup member of the squad and get a run of games in the upcoming Premiership Rugby Cup too.
The two worst defences face each other…
Gloucester and Newcastle have conceded 191 and 155 point respectively, making them the two leakiest defences so far this season.
This means that it could be a very high-scoring game, with Gloucester becoming increasingly known for their massively attacking tactics that George Skivington implemented.
The last time Falcons went unbeaten in back-to-back games was in November 2021, with a draw against Worcester following a win vs Exeter.
It could well end up being a huge win for Gloucester, because attacking wise Newcastle have not shown too much quality, only amassing 61 points so far, and if The Cherry and Whites are as strong in attack as they have been so far this season, it could be a long night for those travelling down from the North East.
The Falcons will hope to be flying but it would take an incredible effort to get something away at Gloucester.
Leicester look to end drought
Leicester Tigers have only won once in the Premiership at the StoneX Stadium in their history, with it coming in February 2018.
This weekend, they face Saracens with the hope that their (ey up me) duck will be broken.
In a game that is also the repeat of the 2022 final in which Tigers defeated their London opponents.
Sarries are the ones who will be slightly more affected by England callups, with there being seven players out compared to Leicester’s five, an issue that has caused much debate amongst rugby fans who believe that allowing the Premiership to continue with internationals away ruins the spectacle for the fans.
Regardless of who is playing or not playing, this game will be a hard-fought battle between two sides who will be at the top end of the table come the end of the season, and will be a good chance to see the depth for both teams, which is often a deciding factor in going all the way.
Whoever wins will seriously show their title credentials.
Ibitoye continuing his form?
With Gabriel Ibitoye not being selected or seemingly even considered for the England squad, he will be able to play against Northampton.
This will be a huge boost to Bristol, as Ibitoye is one of their star players, and has been lighting up the league with some stellar performances so far this season.
With Bristol only having Harry Randall out from the backs, and Saints having four of their backs away with England, it is the perfect opportunity for Ibitoye to continue his form and put a youthful Northampton to the sword.
His key battle will be against James Ramm, who starts at 14 for Northampton and will be looking to follow up on his very impressive performance off the bench against Sale, where he got himself a try.
READ MORE: Bristol Bears vs Northampton Saints Match Preview
