Premiership round 5: preview and predictions

Bath v Sale
Olly Barkley, who is moving to Racing Metro on Monday, will start his final game for Bath Rugby at fly-half as the West Country side look to get back to winning ways against Sale Sharks at the Rec.
In the pack, the newly promoted England EPS member David Wilson is back at tight-head, with Paul James handed the loose-head shirt.
Dave Attwood makes his first start of the season in the second row, combining with captain Stuart Hooper.
Danny Cipriani has been dropped to the bench for winless Sale’s trip down South with Nick Macleod forming the half-back pairing with Cillian Willis, who comes in for the injured Dwayne Peel.
Youngster James Doyle is set to make his senior debut for the Sharks at blindside while 19-year-old Nathan Fowles could follow suit if he comes off the bench.
Speedster returns Will Addison returns to the squad after a two-game absence, whilst Richie Gray and Henry Thomas are ruled out through injury.
Bath: Abendanon; Eastmond, Hipkiss, Donald, Biggs; Barkley, Claassens; James, Mears, Wilson; Hooper (capt.), Attwood; Fearns, Skirving, Taylor.
Replacements: Batty, Catt, Perenise, Day, Skuse, McMillan, Vesty, Cuthbert.
Sale: Miller; Brady, Leota, Tuitupou, Cueto; Macleod, Willis; Lewis-Roberts, Taylor, Buckley; McKenzie, Myall; Doyle, Seymour (capt.), Powell.
Replacements: Ward, Cobilas, Croall, Gaskell, Easter, Fowles, Cipriani, Addison.
Prediction: The bottom-of-the table Sharks have had an eventful week with the sacking of Steve Scott and they will be keen to show some pride but there is a lot of work to be done. Bath look more organised now since Gary Gold’s arrival and it’s starting to show. They’re going to win this one.
Harlequins v Saracens
Seb Stegmann has been named in the starting XV for Harlequins as the reigning champions look to carry on their unbeaten run against the 2011 champions.
Stegman comes in for the injured Tom Williams and, in the forwards, Tom Guest starts at blindside flanker, with Maurie Fa’asavalu covering from the bench.
With Ross Chisholm unavailable through injury for up to eight weeks, former England Sevens star Ollie Lindsay-Hague is named among the replacements from where he will hope to make his first appearance as a senior squad member following promotion from the Academy this season.
Meanwhile, Welsh international Rhys Gill gets his first start of the season for Saracens while Schalk Brits, Ernst Joubert, Richard Wigglesworth, Joel Tomkins and captain Steve Borthwick all return to the starting line-up.
They were all on the bench for last Sunday’s 14-12 defeat to Exeter but had a big impact when they came on so they will be looking to do the same from the kick-off this time around.
On the bench, John Smit comes into the matchday 23 while there are first outings of the season for lock George Kruis, flanker Andy Saull and wing David Strettle after the trio missed the start of the new campaign through injury.
Harlequins: Brown; Stegmann, Hopper, Turner-Hall, Monye; Evans, Care; Marler, Gray, Johnston; Kohn, Robson, Guest, Robshaw, Easter.
Replacements: Buchanan, Lambert, Collier, Matthews, Fa’asavalu, Dickson, Clegg, Lindsay-Hague.
Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Tomkins, Barritt, Wyles; Farrell, Wigglesworth; Gill, Brits, Du Plessis; Borthwick (capt.), Hargreaves; Brown, Fraser, Joubert
Replacements: Smit, Vunipola, Stevens, Kruis, Saull, Spencer, Hodgson, Strettle
Prediction: Saracens have called the big guns back for this clash but you just feel that Quins are in another league right now. They know what they are doing and they are confident doing it. They will remain undefeated after this weekend.
Leicester v Exeter
Dan Bowden will make his Leicester Tigers debut from inside centre for the reception of Exeter tomorrow.
Following their 22-9 defeat to Harlequins last week and “only” 18 points scored over the last two games, the Tigers will be looking to hit the ground running again two weeks before the start of the Heineken Cup.
Up front, the rotation in the front row carries on with George Chuter and Logovi’i Mulipola coming in at hooker and loose-head but England tight-head Dan Cole keeps his place with Martin Castrogiovanni on the bench.
Thomas Waldrom returns at No.8 meaning that captain Jordan Crane moves across to blindside flanker replacing the injured Steve Mafi.
England international Tom Johnson recovered from injury and returns to blindside for the Chiefs replacing James Phillips who injured his knee in last week 14-12 win over Saracens.
The only other change in personnel comes in the back division where Kiwi centre Jason Shoemark returns to the fold at the expense of Phil Dollman.
Shoemark’s inclusion in the midfield alongside powerhouse Sireli Naqelevuki sees summer signing Ian Whitten switching to the right wing.
Leicester: Hamilton; Morris, Smith, Bowden, Goneva; Flood, Harrison; Mulipola, Chuter, Cole; Kitchener, Parling, Crane (capt.), Salvi, Waldrom.
Replacements: Youngs, Stankovich, Castrogiovanni, Slater, Deacon, Phibbs, Ford, Thompstone.
Exeter: Arscott; Whitten, Naqelevuki, Shoemark, Jess; Mieres, Thomas; Sturgess, Whitehead, Rimmer; Hayes (capt.), Hanks; Johnson, Scaysbrook, Baxter.
Replacements: Alcott, Moon, Budgen, Muldowney, White, Chudley, Steenson, Dollman.
Prediction: Exeter will be very pleased with their win against Saracens last week but the Tigers will not miss out on the win three games in a row. Run hard, hit hard will be the Tigers’ moto tomorrow.
London Welsh v Goucester
London Welsh will be chasing a third consecutive Premiership victory when they welcome Gloucester to the Kassam Stadium on Sunday.
Exiles head coach Lyn Jones makes one change to the starting line up that beat Sale 29-19 last week and see Seb Jewell coming in at full back for his first competitive start of the season, with Tom Arscott moving to the wing in place of Phil MacKenzie, who is named among the replacements.
The only other change to Welsh’s matchday 23 sees back row forward Alfie To’oala restored to the bench in place of Ed Williamson alongside former Gloucester scrum half Nick Runciman.
Player-coach Mike Tindall will once again take the field for Gloucester as he replaces Henry Trinder, who drops to the bench, at outside centre for his third start of the season.
In the forwards, Wallaby Huia Edmonds comes in for Darren Dawidiuk who picked up a knee injury against Wasps while England Ben Morgan is ruled out with a dead calf.
He is replaced by Sione Kalamafoni at No.8 while Peter Buxton, who has been in fine form in the A League, is named at blindside flanker.
London Welsh: Jewell; Arscott, Parker, Tonga’uiha, Scott; Ross, Keats; Montanella, Briggs, Ion; Mills (capt.), Corker; Browne, Hills, Jackson.
Replacements: George, Bristow, Joly, Kulemin, To’oala, Runciman, Davis, MacKenzie.
Gloucester: Cook; May, Tindall, Twelvetrees, Simpson-Daniel; Burns, Robson; Wood, Edmonds, Harden; Savage, Hamilton (capt.); Buxton, Hazell, Kalamafoni.
Replacements: Britton, Murphy, Knight, James, Qera, Lewis, Trinder, Thomas.
Prediction: London Welsh have showed that if they get a sniff of the try line they will upset a lot of teams but the Gloucester must have been watching and they will treat it very seriously. It might be close but the Cherry and Whites will win.
Northampton v London Wasps
Following the injury to Ben Foden, Northampton announced this week that centre George Pisi would also be unavailable for a number of weeks after suffering a shoulder injury.
He is replaced by Dominic Waldouck in the centre while England international Tom Wood comes in from the bench to replace Phil Dowson at openside.
The Saints host Wasps tonight still unbeaten after four rounds but will be looking to put an 80 minutes performance to avoid a late scare like last week against Worcester.
Meanwhile, former Enlgand international Tim Payne will make his 250th appearance for London Wasps alongside Tom Lindsay and Zac Taulafo in the front row.
Winger James Bailey will make his Wasps debut while there are also starts for Chris Bell, and Billy Vunipola.
Joe Launchbury and Nick Robinson come into the starting line-up in place of Jonathan Poff, who has picked up a knock, and Stephen Jones, who struggled with stomach bug all week.
Northampton: Wilson; Pisi, Waldouck, Burrell, Artemyev; Myler, Dickson; Tonga’uiha, Hartley, Doran-Jones; Manoa, Day; Lawes, Wood, Oakley.
Replacements: Haywood, Waller, Mujati, Sorenson, Dowson, Roberts, Lamb, May.
London Wasps: T. Bell; Wade, Masi, C. Bell, Bailey; Robinson, Simpson; Payne, Lindsay, Taulafo; Palmer, Wentzel; Launchbury, Haskell, Vunipola.
Replacements: R. Thomas, McIntyre, Staibano, Jones, Cannon, Davies, L. Thomas, Daly.
Prediction: Wasps will be strong up front but their reshuffled back line will be their downfall. Saints are a tough side, especially at home, and it could be a thumping if Wasps are not careful.
Worcester v London Irish
Following his try-scoring performance from the bench last week, centre Josh Matavesi is recalled in Worcester line-up with Jonny Arr also coming from the bench replacing the injured Shaun Perry at scrum-half.
Rising star Matt Kvesic will start at No.8 in the only change in the pack while Jon Clarke could make his league debut for the Warriors after his summer move from Northampton.
Worcester will no doubt be keen to start the game in the same way they finished last week against Northampton in an attempt to claim their first win of the season.
Samoa international Sailosi Tagicakibau will start his first competitive match of the season for London Irish on the wing after playing in the centre for his previous three appearances.
David Paice, who replaces Scotland International Scott Lawson at hooker, will make his first start since his seven-week ban following an incident with Gloucester’s Jim Hamilton at the end of last season.
Following an impressive display for his debut last week Ian Humphreys retains the No.10 shirt with Steven Shingler at 12 and Shane Geraghty on the bench once again.
Irish travel to Sixways eager to confirm their return to form having earned their first win of the season last week against Bath.
Worcester: Pennell; Walker, Grove, Matavesi, Lemi; Goode, Arr; Mullan, Lutui, Andress; Percival, Schofield (Capt.); Ch. Jones, Betty, Kvesic.
Replacements: Hayes, Ce. Jones, Currie, Gillies, Taulava, Frost, Carlisle, Clarke.
London Irish: Homer; Yarde, Joseph, Shingler, Tagicakibau; Humphreys, O’Leary; Lahiff, Paice; Aulika; Evans, Garvey; Danaher (Capt.), Gibson, Treviranus
Replacements: Malton, Yanuyanutawa, Cotter, Skivington, Gray, Ojo, Geraghty, Moates
Prediction: Irish will be confident after last week but Worcester have been playing pretty well since the start of the season but couldn’t clinch that win they desperately want. Unfortunately, I don’t think tonight will be the night.