Premiership round 4: preview and predictions

Exeter v Saracens
Injuries to Craig Mitchell and Tom Johnson mean Carl Rimmer and James Phillips come into the pack while Haydn Thomas is given his first outing of the season at scrum-half and the back line is rejigged with Ian Whitten and Phil Dollman trading places.
The Chiefs will be looking to set the record straight following their shock 25-24 defeat to the hand of London Welsh as they return to fortress Sandy Park.
Scrum-half Neil de Kock will make his 150th appearance for Saracens while Kelly Brown will captain the side.
Jamie George gets his first start of the season at hooker as does Duncan Taylor who is named at outside centre.
Alistair Hargreaves is also given his first Premiership start with Steve Borthwick switching to the bench alongside Matt Stevens.
Despite a poor performance, Owen Farrell is given another chance at No.10
Exeter: Arscott; Dollman, Whitten, Naqelevuki, Jess; Mieres, Thomas; Sturgess, Whitehead, Rimmer; Hayes (capt.), Hanks; Phillips, Scaysbrook, Baxter.
Replacements: Alcott, Moon, Budgen, Muldowney, White, Chudley, Steenson, Nowell.
Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Taylor, Barritt, Short; Farrell, De Kock; Vunipola, George, Nieto; Hargreaves, Botha; Brown (capt.), Fraser, Wray.
Replacements: Brits, Gill, Stevens, Borthwick, Joubert, Wigglesworth, Hodgson, Tomkins.
Prediction: This is a tough one but I will go for Exeter. After last week, the Chiefs will want to put on a good performance in front of their beloved fans.
Gloucester v London Wasps
Gloucester have slipped to four successive home defeats but haven’t lost five in a row at Kingsholm since 1995, a record they won’t be keen to break.
Rob Cook and Sione Kalamafoni will make their first starts as Gloucester make seven changes to the side that drew with Worcester last week.
Cook comes in at full back as Jonny May moves to the right wing with Charlie Sharples and Shane Monahan both side-lined.
Freddie Burns returns at fly-half pushing Billy Twelvetrees moves across to inside centre.
Darren Dawidiuk gets the nod at hooker and Tom Savage moves into the second row with Tongan international Kalamafoni taking over the No.6 shirt.
James Haskell comes back into the starting XV for Wasps in place of Joe Launchbury, who is out with a knock, while Zak Taulafo starts after his try-scoring impact from the bench last weekend.
In the backs, Tommy Bell gets his first start replacing skipper Hugo Southwell at full-back who is out with a hand injury.
Gloucester: Cook; May, Trinder, Twelvetrees, Simpson-Daniel; Burns, Robson; Wood, Dawidiuk, Harden; Savage, Hamilton (capt); Kalamafoni, Hazell, Morgan.
Replacements: Edmonds, Murphy, Knight, James, Qera, Lewis, Tindall, Thomas.
London Wasps: Bell; Varndell, Daly, Masi, Wade; Jones, Simpson; Payne, Thomas, Taulafo; Palmer, Wentzel (capt.); Haskell, Poff, Johnson.
Replacements: Lindsay, McIntyre, Staibano, Cannon, Vunipola, Davies, Robinson, Wallace.
Prediction: Wasps with Stephen Jones are another team. They will show it wasn’t a flash in the pan last week and get a famous win at Kingsholm.
Leicester v Harlequins
Jordan Crane will captain Leicester Tigers from No.8 while Scott Hamilton reverts to full back in place of the injured Geordan Murphy, who suffered a knee injury in the draw against Saracens at Wembley last weekend.
Props Boris Stankovich and Martin Castrogiovanni carry on their musical chairs and come in for Dan Cole and Longovi’i Mulipola alongside hooker Tom Youngs.
Adam Thompstone could make his Tigers debut after being included among the replacements.
There is just one change in the back line for the perfect-starter Harlequins where Matt Hopper starts at outside centre, replacing George Lowe who took a knock during training this week.
In the forwards, Olly Kohn returns to partner George Robson in the second-row while Maurie Fa’asavalu joins Nick Easter and captain, Chris Robshaw in the back-row
Leicester: Hamilton; Morris, Smith, Allen, Goneva; Flood, Harrison; Stankovich, Youngs, Castrogiovanni; Kitchener, Parling; Mafi, Salvi, Crane (capt.).
Replacements: Chuter, Cole, Mulipola, Andrew, Waldrom, Phibbs, Ford, Thompstone.
Harlequins: Brown; Williams, Hopper, Turner Hall, Monye; Evans, Care; Marler, Gray, Johnston; Kohn, Robson; Fa’asavalu, Robshaw (capt.), Easter.
Replacements: Buchanan, Marfo, Collier, Matthews, Guest, Dickson, Clegg, Chisholm.
Prediction: Quins will have the upper hand in the back line and if they can their running game in place they’ll win. They’ll put pressure on young Sam Harrison and do it.
London Irish v Bath
Ian Humphreys, who will form an all-Irish half-back combination with Tomás O’Leary, will play his first match for London Irish tomorrow afternoon in one of four changes made by Brian Smith.
Halani Aulika will start at tight-head with Matt Garvey joining Bryn Evans in the second row and Jamie Gibson named at openside. Steven Shingler moves from fly-half to inside centre to accommodate Humphreys.
With three defeats in as many game and 123 points already conceded, a success is vital for the Exiles if they don’t want to struggle all season.
Francois Louw returns to Bath starting line-up after his international duties with South Africa last week in Dunedin with Carl Fearns shifting to the blindside and Simon Taylor to No.8.
Nathan Catt starts at loose-head and Anthony Perenise comes in on the other side of the scrum for David Wilson who picked up a knock in training.
London Irish: Homer; Ojo, Joseph, Shingler, Yarde; Humphreys, O’Leary; Lahiff, Lawson, Aulika; Evans, Garvey; Danaher (capt.), Gibson, Treviranus.
Replacements: Paice, Yanuyanutawa, Cotter, Skivington, Fisher, Watson, Shane Geraghty, Moates
Bath: Abendanon; Eastmond, Hipkiss, Williams, Biggs; Barkley, Claassens; Catt, Mears, Perenise; Hooper, Day; Fearns, Louw, Taylor.
Replacements: Batty, James, Palma-Newport, Attwood, Skirving, McMillan, Donald, Cuthbert.
Prediction: Another poor kicking display from Bath and Irish will thrive on counter attacks. Humphreys will also bring all his experience to drive them around. The Exiles should the light after this one.
Northampton v Worcester
England lock Courtney Lawes makes his first start since February at blindside replacing Tom Wood who failed to impress since his return from injury.
James Wilson make his Saints debut at full-back filling the gap left by Ben Foden’s injury while Luther Burrell comes in at inside centre for Dom Waldouck.
The Saints will be keen to put on another strong performance t keep their 100 per cent record so far but face a Worcester side eager to clinch their first win of the season.
Worcester make just one change to the starting side that drew at home to Gloucester last weekend.
Semisi Taulava comes in at No.8 in place of Matt Kvesic.
Northampton: Wilson; K. Pisi, G. Pisi, Burrell, Artemeyev; Myler, Dickson; Tonga’uiha, Hartley (capt.), Doran-Jones, Manoa, Day; Lawes, Dowson, Oakley.
Replacements: Haywood, Waller, Mujati, Sorenson, Wood, Roberts, Lamb, Waldouck.
Worcester: Pennell; Walker, Grove, Carlisle, Lemi; Goode, Perry; Mullan, Lutui, Andress; Percival, Schofield (capt); Chris Jones, Betty, Taulava.
Replacements: Hayes, Ceri Jones, Currie, Gillies, Kvesic, Arr, Matavesi, Drauniniu.
Prediction: Worcester have improved a lot since last season and they have been unlucky not to get a win yet but you feel the Saints pack at home will be too much handle for them yet. Saints win.
Sale v London Welsh
No.8 Andy Powell returns to the starting XV alongside Mark Easter who comes from the bench to start at blinside flanker.
Sale come into the game on the back of three defeats in as many games despite some improvement last week against Harlequins.
Meanwhile, London Welsh will be hoping to back up last Sunday’s historic 25-24 victory over Exeter.
They have made one enforced change to their starting team with Michael Hills replacing the injured Mike Denbee at openside.
Jonathan Mills has recovered from the facial injury he sustained last Sunday – he lost two teeth – to again lead the side.
Sale: Miller; Brady, Leota, Tuitupou, Cueto; Cipriani, Peel; Lewis-Roberts, Ward, Cobilas; Gray, Myall; Easter, Seymour (capt.), Powell.
Replacements: Taylor, Harrison, Buckley, McKenzie, Vernon, Cliff, Macleod, Uys.
London Welsh: Arscott; Mackenzie, Parker, Tonga’uiha, Scott; Ross, Keats; Montanella, Briggs, Ion; Mills (capt.), Corker; Browne, Hills, Jackson.
Replacements: George, Bristow, Joly, Kulemin, Williamson, Runciman, Davis, Jewell.
Prediction: Confidence will be sky-high for Welsh but Sale have to react and the thoughts of losing to the new boys will drive them to victory (just).