Premiership round 10: previews and predictions

Harlequins v Worcester
Harlequins have made three changes to the starting XV that played Bath last weekend for the reception of Worcester tonight.
Seb Stegmann replaces the injured Ugo Monye on the wing while James Johnston and Maurie Fa’asavalu return from international duty with Samoa to start at tight head prop and blindside flanker respectively.
No.8 Nick Easter continues as captain, while Charlie Matthews and Tom Casson return from injury and are named among the replacements.
Samoa captain David Lemi returns to the starting line-up on the wing for the Warriors with Scotland international prop Euan Murray set for his first club appearance if he comes off the bench.
The other change to the starting line-up sees centre Alex Grove replace the injured Joe Carlisle and partner Josh Matavesi in midfield.
Lock James Percival will once again captain the team and is joined in the side be ex-Quins Ceri Jones and John Andress in the pack.
Harlequins: Williams; Stegmann, Hopper, Turner-Hall, Smith; Evans, Dickson; Lambert, Gray, Johnston; Kohn, Robson; Fa’asavalu, Wallace, Easter (capt.).

Replacements: Buchanan, Marfo, Collier, Matthews, Guest, Burns, Clegg, Casson.
Warriors: Pennell; Walker, Grove, Matavesi, Lemi; Goode, Hodgson; Ce. Jones, Shervington, Andress; Percival (capt.), Ch. Jones; Best, Kvesic, Taulava.

Replacements: Lutui, O’Donnell, Murray, Schofield, Betty, Arr, Short, Claassens.
Prediction: Two games without tries? This might be common for the visitors but not for the Champions. The league is so close that with a loss and some results not going your way they could go from Top to out of the Top Four. They will react and get the good to build momentum before the Heineken Cup.
Sale v Northampton
Sale will be hoping to celebrate the official arrival of John Mitchell with their second win in the Premiership and see the return of some of their international players for the reception of Northampton tonight.
Just back from his Scotland duties, Richie Gray steps in the second row while Samoa centre Johnny Leota, who scored the winning try against Wales, replaces Will Addison in the midfield.
Elsewhere, Andy Powell swaps positions with Richie Vernon while Cameron Shepherd gets the nod at fullback in place of Rob Miller and Johnny Leota starts in the centres instead of Will Addison.
England international Ben Foden and Dylan Hartley come back from injury to start for the Saints after being sidelined for the past few weeks and missing the Autumn internationals.
Foden returns at full-back while Hartley comes in at hooker and also captains the side.
George Pisi will face his Samoa teammate Leota after being name at outside centre with just one further change to the starting XV with Mark Sorensen stepping in at lock for Courtney Lawes who is in the England squad for their match with the All Blacks.
Sale: Shepherd; Amesbury, Leota, Tuitupou, Cueto; Cipriani, Peel; Harrison, Taylor, Buckley; Gray, Myall; Powell, Seymour (capt.), Vernon.
Replacements: Ward, Lewis-Roberts, Cobilas, McKenzie, Gaskell, Cliff, Macleod, Miller.
Northampton: Foden; K. Pisi, G. Pisi, Waldouck, Elliot; Lamb, Roberts; Tonga’uiha, Hartley (capt.), Mujati; Manoa, Sorenson; Clark, Dowson, Van Velze.
Replacements: Haywood, Waller, Doran-Jones, Oakley, Nutley, Dickson, Myler, May.
Prediction: This is a tough one. Sale are going to fly out of the blocks and try to rip the Saints’ head off. I’m not sure how they’ll be able to go for and if the Saints can let the storm go they could be in the game. But i’m feeling positive today and I’m going to go for Sale. It will be brutal rather than pretty though.
Exeter v Wasps
Buoyed by their first-ever win at the Madejski Stadium last week, Rob Baxter doesn’t need to change a winning formula as the Chiefs name an unchanged 23 for tomorrow’s match against Wasps.
Winger Jack Nowell gets another chance on the right wing after impressing on his Premiership debut a week ago.
Gareth Steenston is still preferred to Ignacio Mieres so he continues to partner Haydn Thomas as the half-backs.
In the pack, Carl Rimmer, Chris Whitehead and Brett Sturgess make up the front row and Tom Hayes captains the side from the second row alongside James Hanks.
The back-row sees Richard Baxter, James Scaysbrook and Dean Mumm continue completing a strong Chiefs pack.
London Wasps have named a trio of players who have been on international duty in their starting line-up.
Prop Zak Taulafo, who impressed for Samoa in a strong autumn campaign starts at loosehead while England’s Tom Palmer packs down in the second-row.
After strong performances on their returns last week, Nicky Robinson and Joe Simpson will look to get the Wasps backline firing again.
Tom Vandell is once again on the wing as he looks to add to his impressive try scoring record this year.
Italy’s Andrea Masi also returns and is named on the bench with Lee Thomas coming in at inside centre in the only change to the backline from last weekend’s win over Leicester Tigers.
Exeter:  Arscott; Nowell, Dollman, Shoemark, Jess; Steenson, Thomas; Sturgess, Whitehead, Rimmer; Hayes (capt.), Hanks; Mumm, Scaysbrook, Baxter.
Replacements:  Alcott, Moon, Tui, Muldowney, Johnson, Barrett, Mieres, Naqelevuki.
Wasps: Southwell; Varndell, Daly, Thomas, Wade; Robinson, Simpson; Taulafo, Thomas, Swainston; Palmer, Wentzel; Johnson, Poff, Vunipola.
Replacements: Lindsay, McIntyre, Taylor, Cannon, Jones, Davies, Bell, Masi.
Prediction: Wasps secured great victory over the Tigers last week and will be full of confidence and desperate to improve on their consistency. But unfortunately there are not very many sides that travel Sandy Park and come away with a victory. It will be close but I think Exeter will once again find a way to shade it.
Leicester v Bath
Leicester will be boosted by the return of props Marcos Ayerza and Martin Castrogiovanni from international duty for the clash against old rivals Bath tomorrow.
Thomas Waldrom and Anthony Allen, who are both members of the England Elite Player Squad, are also included in Saturday’s starting team.
Young George Ford continues at fly-half but club captain Geordan Murphy is kept on the bench by Mathew Tait.
Despite the international returns Tigers ranks are still in many ways depleted. Toby Flood, Logovi’i Mulipola, Steve Mafi, Wessel Jooste and Vereniki Goneva are counted out by injury.
And, Miles Benjamin and Tom Croft are working their way back from long-term injury while Boris Stankovich is suspended.
Internationals will also be back in action for the West Country side for their trip to Welford Road.
Horacio Agulla returns from playing for Argentina and will be making his first start in Bath colours against his old teammates, he starts at outside centre alongside Matt Banahan.
Stephen Donald, who was named Man of the Match in the victory over Harlequins last weekend, renews his half-back partnership with Michael Claassens.
Tom Biggs is named on the left wing as Kyle Eastmond continues on the right, and Nick Abendanon starts once again at full-back.
Paul James and Francois Louw who have been representing Wales and South Africa respectively, also return to the starting line-up.
James props down alongside Lee Mears and Anthony Perenise in the front row, whilst Louw comes in on the blindside flank.
Stuart Hooper and Dave Attwood combine once more in the second row, as Guy Mercer and Simon Taylor complete the scrum on the open-side and at No.8.
Leicester: Tait; Morris, Smith, Allen, Thompstone; Ford, Harrison; Ayerza, Chuter, Castrogiovanni; L. Deacon (capt.), Kitchener; B. Deacon, Salvi, Waldrom.
Replacements: Hawkins, Harris, Balmain, Slater, Crane, Young, Bowden, Murphy.
Bath: Abendanon; Eastmond, Agulla, Banahan, Biggs; Donald, Claassens; James, Mears, Perenise; Hooper (capt.), Attwood; Louw, Mercer, Taylor.
Replacements: Sharman, Beech, Palma-Newport, Day, Ovens, McMillan, Heathcote, Cuthbert.
Prediction: Leicester don’t often lose two games on the bounce so Bath should be weary of a backlash tomorrow. However, Bath secured a famous victory over the champions last week and if Stephen Donald is on his game again they could run the tigers close. Tigers by seven.
London Welsh v London Irish
With only four points separating the sides, its tenth against eleventh in the ‘Battle of the Exiles’ tomorrow at Kassam Stadium.
Welsh head coach Lyn Jones sticks with the same starting side that came away from Franklin’s Gardens with a hard-fought losing bonus point last weekend.
Gordon Ross continues at fly-half with Gavin Henson still away with injury and Sonny Parker teams up once again with Hudson Tonga’uiha in midfield.
Up front, the familiar faces of Paulica Ion, Neil Briggs and Franck Montanella pack down in front of Kirill Kulemin and captain Jonathan Mills.
Adam Balding retains to No. 8 jersey.
London Irish will be pleased to have George Skivington back in the second row, as Matt Garvey is pushed to open-side.
Tom Homer starts at full-back again with Topsy Ojo and Anthony Watson out wide.
Ian Humphreys gets the nod at ten keeping Steven Shingler on the bench.
Bryn Evans partners Skivington at lock as Max Lahiff, Brian Blaney and Leo Halavatau make up the front three.
Jebb Sinclair makes the bench after finishing his loan at Western Province.
London Welsh: Arscott; Caprice, Parker, Tonga’uiha, Scott; Ross, Keats; Montanella, Briggs, Ion; Mills (capt.), Kulemin; Browne, Jackson, Balding.
Replacements: Bateman, Bristow, Tideswell, Corker, To’oala, Stevenson, Davies, Jewell.
London Irish: Homer; Ojo, Tagicakibau, Geraghty, Watson; Humphreys, Allinson; Lahiff, Blaney, Halavatau; Skivington, Evans; Danaher (capt.), Garvey, Hala’ufia.
Replacements: Ellis, Yanuyanutawa, Aulika, Low, Sinclair, Gibson, Shingler, Moates.
Prediction: Welsh put up a stubborn performance last week to get a point and do currently sit above Irish in the table. However, I think this will provide a much more dangerous Irish side with the motivation they need to claim a convincing win. Irish by 15.
Saracens v Gloucester
Saracens captain Steve Borthwick will make his 100th appearance for the club in Sunday’s Premiership clash with Gloucester at Vicarage Road.
Sarries also have the boost with fly-half Charlie Hodgson back from injury meaning stand in Nils Mordt drops to the bench.
Neil De Kock steps in at scrum-half.
In the pack, Mouritz Botha returns to partner Borthwick after being dropped by England.
Chris Wyles has finished international duty with the USA so he comes back in at full-back.
Kelly brown and Schalk Brits are rested and Adam Powell, Jackson Wray, Jacques Burger, Justin Melck and Joe Maddock all miss out through injury.
For the Cherry and Whites Freddie Burns‘s England call-up sees Billy Twelvetrees at ten with the possibility of jumping above their opponents in the table.
Mike Tindall moves to inside centre and Tim Molenaar outside him making up a powerful midfield.
Martyn Thomas replaces Shane Monahan on the wing with flyer Sharples on the other.
Up front, Darren Dawidiuk starts at hooker while Nick Wood who was called into the England squad sits on the bench.
The dangerous Akapusi Qera will be hoping to continue his try scoring form from openside and he is joined by Tom Savage and Sione Kalamafoni in the back-row.
Saracens: Wyles; Strettle, Tomkins, Taylor, Short; Hodgson, de Kock; Gill, Smit, Stevens; Borthwick (capt.), Botha; Kruis, Fraser, Joubert.
Replacements: George, Auterac, du Plessis, Hargreaves, Saull, Wigglesworth, Mordt, Ratuvou.
Gloucester: Cook; Sharples, Molenaar, Tindall, Thomas; Twelvetrees, Cowan; Murphy, Dawidiuk, Harden; James, Hamilton (capt.); Savage, Qera, Kalamafoni.
Replacements: Britton, Wood, Knight, Buxton, Cox, Robson, Taylor, Monahan.
Prediction: Saracens will have more direction with the return of Charlie Hodgeson who will look to conduct his dangerous back-line  It will be interesting to see how Gloucester cope without  their own play-maker Freddie Burns but the west country side have shown a new born resilience this year, they will steal this one, just!