Premiership round 3: preview and predictions

Bath v Saints
Bath made two changes to the side that beat London Wasps last Saturday as they look to continue their winning start to the season against Northampton Saints tonight.
Welsh international Paul James comes in at loose-head joining Lee Mears and David Wilson in the front row.
The other change comes in the centres, where Ben Williams replaces the injured Matt Banahan.
Meanwhile, Northampton start Rhys Oakley at No.8 for the suspended Gerrit-Jan van Velze and Tom Mercey replaces Brian Mujati at prop.
Stephen Myler will be keen to put on a big performance starting at fly-half in place of Ryan Lamb with Luther Burrell at No.12 for the injured George Pisi.
Bath: Abendanon; Eastmond, Hipkiss, Williams, Biggs; Barkley, Claassens; James, Mears, Wilson; Hooper (capt.), Day; Taylor, Fearns, Skirving.
Replacements: Batty, Catt, Perenise, Attwood, Ovens, McMillan, Devoto, Cuthbert.
Northampton: Foden; K Pisi, Waldouck, Burrell, Artemyev; Myler, Dickson; Tonga’uiha, Hartley (capt.), Mercey; Manoa, Day; Dowson, Wood, Oakley.
Replacements: Haywood, Waller, Doran-Jones, Sorenson, Lawes, Roberts, Lamb, May.
Prediction: Bath are showing promises but the Saints and their pack will be a step too far for now.
Harlequins v Sale
Quins make one change to the back line in a bid to maintain their position top of the Premiership, Danny Care returns to the starting line-up with Karl Dickson named among the replacements.
There are two changes to the pack that beat London Welsh last week as Charlie Matthews joins George Robson in the second row and Nick Easter returns to No.8 as Tom Guest moves to blindside.
Among the replacements, Peter Browne and Rory Clegg will look to make their first appearance of the season, with Maurie Fa’asavalu covering the back-row.
The Sharks show three changes from last Saturday’s disappointing loss at the hands of Saracens but face a tough task at the Twickenham Stoop.
Tom Brady comes in for his first game of the season, replacing the injured Will Addison.
Mark Easter and Mark Jennings are named on the bench with Jennings yet to make his senior debut.
Harlequins: Brown; Williams, Lowe, Turner-Hall, Monye; Evans, Care; Marler, Gray, Johnston; Matthews, Robson; Guest, Robshaw (capt.), Easter.
Replacements: Buchanan; Marfo, Collier, Browne, Fa’asavalu, Dickson, Clegg, Hopper.
Sale Sharks: Miller; Brady, Leota, Tuitupou, Cueto; Cipriani, Peel; Lewis-Roberts, Ward, Cobilas; Gray, Myall; Gaskell, Seymour (capt.), Vernon.
Replacements: Taylor, Dickinson, Thomas, McKenzie, Easter, Cliff, Macleod, Jennings.
Prediction: Sale will be looking to improve and put on a good performance against the champions but they won’t be able to compete for 80 minutes and Quins’ relentless pack will win it for them.
London Wasps v London Irish
With both sides looking for their first win of the new campaign, Wasps make five changes to the starting line-up when they welcome London Irish to Adams Park tomorrow afternoon (kick-off 3pm).
The 104–times capped Welsh international Stephen Jones makes his competitive debut having been named in the No.10 shirt ahead of Nicky Robinson who drops to the bench.
Jones will direct a backline with one change in it with Andrea Masi a straight swap for Chris Bell, who suffered a deep cut to the head last time out.
There are three changes up front with T Rhys Thomas, Joe Launchbury and Ashley Johnson all starting while james Haskell sit on the bench.
London Irish Director of Rugby, Brian Smith, has named an unchanged side that lost to Gloucester last week with Declan Danaher captaining the side for the second time this season.
Brian Smith said: “Last week against Gloucester was a big improvement on our first performance against Saracens and we are looking for another sizable one against Wasps tomorrow.”
Wasps: Southwell (capt.); Varndell, Daly, Masi, Wade; Jones, Simpson; Payne, Thomas, Staibano; Palmer, Wentzel; Launchbury, Poff, Johnson.
Replacements: Lindsay, McIntyre, Taulafo, Haskell, Vunipola, Davies, Robinson, Bell.
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.
Prediction: Wasps have learnt the hard way they can’t expect to run around without doing the hard craft up front. Only a win will do to celebrate the club’s takeover and they will get it to get their season going.
London Welsh v Exeter
London Welsh will be looking to get their points’ tally off the mark against Exeter on Sunday.
Nick Scott, who scored seven tries in 12 Championship appearances for the Exiles last season, comes in for Joe Ajuwa on the wing, leaving space on the bench for the versatile James Lewis.
Jonah Holmes, a try scorer against Harlequins in the sides’ Aviva A League meeting, also returns to the Welsh bench in place of Nick Runciman.
The Chiefs head into the encounter making one enforced change to their starting line-up with Samoan winger Josh Tatupu ruled out with a broken ankle, sustained in the second half of the game at Franklin’s Gardens last week.
Fijian star Sireli Naqelevuki is promoted from the bench to start in the centre with Irishman Ian Whitten shifting to the wing.
James Hanks comes back into the second row at the expense of Aly Muldowney, who fills the void left by Hanks on the bench.
Newcomers Jack Nowell and Carl Rimmer, will both be looking for premiership debuts from the Chiefs bench.
London Welsh: Arscott; Mackenzie, Parker, Tonga’uiha, Scott; Ross, Keats; Montanella, Briggs, Ion; Mills (capt.), Corker; Browne, Denbee, Jackson.
Replacements: George, Bristow, Joly, Kulemin, To’oala, Holmes, Lewis, Jewell.
Exeter: Arscott; Whitten, Naqelevuki, Dollman, Jess; Mieres, Chudley; Sturgess, Whitehead, Mitchell; Hayes (capt.), Hanks; Johnson, Scaysbrook, Baxter.
Replacements: Alcott, Moon, Rimmer, Muldowney, Phillips, Barret, Steenson, Nowell.
Prediction: The Exiles have to start well if they want to have any chance of an upset but the Chiefs will be ruthless against their old Championship pals and get the five points.
Saracens v Leicester
Saracens Director of Rugby Mark McCall rotates his squad for the clash against Leicester Tigers at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Carlos Nieto and Jackson Wray replace Petrus du Plessis and Will Fraser up front.
A change in half backs means Neil de Kock and Owen Farrell come into the starting line-up at the expense of Richard Wigglesworth and Charlie Hodgson while James Short comes in for Chris Wyles in the back line.
Dan Cole and Logovi’i Mulipola return to the Leicester Tigers starting line-up who make a first-ever trip to Wembley, Cole swaps with Martin Castrogiovanni after starting the win over Worcester on the bench.
In the only other change to the squad which gained a second successive bonus-point win in round 2 of the Premiership last Saturday, hooker George Chuter is among the replacements.
Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Tomkins, Barritt, Short; Farrell, De Kock; Vunipola, Brits, Nieto;  Borthwick (capt), Botha;  Brown, Wray, Joubert.
Replacements: Smit, Gill, Du Plessis, Hargreaves, Fraser, Wigglesworth, Hodgson, Wyles.
Leicester: Murphy (capt.); Hamilton, Tuilagi, Allen, Goneva; Flood, Harrison; Mulipola, Youngs, Cole; Kitchener, Parling; Mafi, Salvi, Waldrom.
Replacements: Chuter, Stankovich, Castrogiovanni, Andrew, Crane, Phibbs, Ford, Smith.
Prediction: The Tigers are on fire right now and they are going to spoil the party at Wembley as long as they don’t drop the ball too much and give Sarries good field position.
Worcester v Gloucester
Scotland wing Nikki Walker will make his debut for Worcester Warriors against Gloucester in Saturday’s Premiership derby at Sixways after missing the opening weeks through injury.
Talented back Joe Carlisle is named at inside centre alongside Alex Grove while Matt Kvesic is selected at No.8 for the crunch match.
Billy Twelvetrees will get his first start of the season at fly-half in place of the Premiership’s joint top scorer, Freddie Burns, who is named amongst the replacements after only just managing to shake off a knock picked up at the Madejski last weekend.
Shane Monahan replaces Charlie Sharples on the right wing, the England man ruled out with a shoulder injury and Mike Tindall will partner Henry Trinder in the midfield.
The only changes in the pack see Huia Edmonds and Rupert Harden come in at hooker and tight head respectively, the Australian international making his first Premiership start for the club.
Worcester: Pennell; Walker, Grove, Carlisle, Lemi; Goode, Perry; Mullan, Lutui, Andress; Percival, Schofield (capt.); Jones, Betty, Kvesic.
Replacements: Hayes, Jones, Currie, Gillies, Taulava, Arr, Matavesi, Drauniniu.
Gloucester Rugby: May; Monahan, Trinder, Tindall, Simpson-Daniel; Twelvetrees, Robson; Wood, Edmonds, Harden; James, Hamilton (capt.); Savage, Hazell, Morgan.
Replacements: Dawidiuk, Murphy, Knight, Kalamafoni, Qera, Lewis, Burns, Cook.
Prediction: This will be fierce up front as any derby but the Cherry and White’s striking power will help them come on top and confirm their good start of the season.