TEAMS: Alex Goode reaches major milestone for Saracens

Saracens stalwart will make his 300th appearance for the club when they face Wasps at Allianz Park on Saturday.

The reigning Premiership champions kick off Saturday's action in the lunchtime broadcast slot, with Wasps coming off an exhilarating 27-23 victory over Bath in Round 17.

Goode will line up at full-back to become only the fourth person in Saracens history to reach 300 games.

As was the case in Monday's victory over London Irish, director of rugby Mark McCall keeps Alex Lewington and Sean Maitland as the wing options in the back three including Goode.

Fly-half Owen Farrell returns to the starting line-up at Allianz Park, where Saracens are unbeaten in their last ten matches.

The only other change for the hosts sees Farrell's England teammate Maro Itoje replaced by Tim Swinson in the second row.

Meanwhile, Wasps veteran Jimmy Gopperth will mark a milestone of his own by captaining the side from fly-half on his 100th appearance for the club.

Centre Juan de Jongh makes his first appearance since the restart, after returning from hand and hamstring injuries.

Hooker Antonio ‘TJ' Harris is named amongst the replacements, having re-joined the club on a short-term deal this week from Jersey, and returns to the ground where he made his first Premiership start for Wasps in December 2018.

There is one potential Wasps debutant in the matchday 23, as 20-year-old Wasps academy back-rower Kieran Curran is named as a replacement.

Curran's former academy teammate Will Simmonds is also in line to make his Premiership debut from the bench.

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Saracens v Wasps (Saturday, 12:30pm kick-off)

Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Alex Lewington, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Brad Barritt (capt), 11 Sean Maitland, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Aled Davies; 1 Richard Barrington, 2 Jamie George, 3 Vincent Koch, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 Tim Swinson, 6 Mike Rhodes, 7 Jackson Wray, 8 Billy Vunipola

Replacements: 16 Kapeli Pifeleti, 17 Sam Crean, 18 Alec Clarey, 19 Callum Hunter-Hill, 20 Sean Reffell, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 Dom Morris, 23 Elliott Obatoyinbo

Wasps: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Paolo Odogwu, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Michael Le Bourgeois, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Jimmy Gopperth (capt); 9 Ben Vellacott, 1 Ben Harris, 2 Tom Cruse, 3 Biyi Alo, 4 Will Rowlands, 5 Tim Cardall, 6 Tom Willis, 7 Ben Morris, 8 Sione Vailanu,

Replacements: 16 Antonio ‘TJ Harris, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Jack Owlett, 19 Theo Vukasinovic, 20 Kieran Curran, 21 Sam Wolstenholme, 22 Charlie Atkinson, 23 Will Simmonds

Worcester Warriors v Bristol Bears (Friday, 6:00pm kick-off)

Worcester Warriors: 15 Melani Nanai, 14 Tom Howe, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Noah Heward, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Francois Hougaard; 1 Ethan Waller, 2 Niall Annett, 3 Nick Schonert, 4 Anton Bresler, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Ted Hill (capt), 7 Matt Kvesic, 8 Cornell du Preez

Replacements: 16 Isaac Miller, 17 Callum Black, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 Andrew Kitchener, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Gareth Simpson, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Ashley Beck

Bristol Bears: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Semi Radradra, 12 Siale Piutau, 11 Henry Purdy, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Harry Randall; 1 Max Lahiff, 2 Bryan Byrne, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 Ed Holmes, 5 Chris Vui, 6 Steven Luatua (capt), 7 Dan Thomas, 8 Nathan Hughes

Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Jake Woolmore, 18 John Afoa, 19 Joe Joyce, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Andy Uren, 22 Ioan Lloyd, 23 Piers O'Conor

Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs (Friday, 7.45pm kick-off)

Northampton Saints: 15 George Furbank, 14 Ahsee Tuala, 13 Matt Proctor, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 Tom Collins, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Henry Taylor; 1 Francois van Wyk, 2 James Fish, 3 Owen Franks, 4 David Ribbans, 5 Api Ratuniyarawa, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 JJ Tonks, 8 Teimana Harrison (capt)

Replacements: 16 Sam Matavesi, 17 Nick Auterac, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Shaun Adendorff, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Piers Francis, 23 Taqele Naiyaravoro

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Josh Hodge, 14 Tom O'Flaherty, 13 Phil Dollman, 12 Tom Hendrickson, 11 Corey Baldwin, 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne; 1 Alec Hepburn, 2 Jack Yeandle (capt), 3 Tomas Francis, 4 Dave Dennis, 5 Sam Skinner, 6 Jannes Kirsten, 7 Sean Lonsdale, 8 Don Armand

Replacements: 16 Jack Innard, 17 Billy Keast, 18 Alfie Petch, 19 Tom Price, 20 Richard Capstick, 21 Joe Snow, 22 Harvey Skinner, 23 Tom Wyatt

Harlequins v Bath (Saturday, 2pm kick-off)

Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Nathan Earle, 10 Brett Herron, 9 Danny Care; 1 Joe Marler, 2 Scott Baldwin, 3 Simon Kerrod, 4 Matt Symons, 5 Glen Young, 6 Chris Robshaw (capt), 7 Will Evans, 8 Alex Dombrandt

Replacements: 16 Joe Gray, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Will Collier, 19 Stephan Lewies, 20 Tom Lawday, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 James Lang, 23 Paul Lasike

Bath: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Ruaridh McConnochie, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Ben Spencer; 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Elliott Stooke, 5 Charlie Ewels (capt), 6 Josh Bayliss, 7 Miles Reid, 8 Taulupe Faletau

Replacements: 16 Jack Walker, 17 Lewis Boyce, 18 Christian Judge, 19 Josh McNally, 20 Tom Ellis, 21 Will Chudley, 22 Josh Matavesi, 23 Tom de Glanville

Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks (Saturday, 3pm kick-off)

Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 David Williams, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 George Ford (capt), 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Charlie Clare, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Tomás Lavanini, 5 Calum Green, 6 Harry Wells, 7 Luke Wallace, 8 Hanro Liebenberg,

Replacements: 16 Jake Kerr, 17 Facundo Gigena, 18 Nephi Leatigaga, 19 Cameron Henderson, 20 Jordan Taufua, 21 Ben White, 22 Zack Henry, 23 Guy Porter

Sale Sharks: 15 Luke James, 14 Denny Solomona, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Marland Yarde, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Faf de Klerk; 1 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 4 Jean-Luc du Preez, 5 Lood de Jager, 6 Jono Ross (capt), 7 Tom Curry, 8 Daniel du Preez,

Replacements: 16 Euan Ashman, 17 Valerey Morozov, 18 Will-Griff John, 19 Cameron Neild, 20 Matt Postlethwaite, 21 Will Cliff, 22 Sam James, 23 Arron Reed

Gloucester v London Irish (Friday, 4:30pm kick-off)

Gloucester: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Ollie Thorley, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Jonny May, 10 Lloyd Evans, 9 Stephen Varney; 1 Val Rapava-Ruskin, 2 Franco Marais, 3 Fraser Balmain, 4 Ed Slater, 5 Matt Garvey, 6 Jack Clement, 7 Lewis Ludlow (capt), 8 Jake Polledri

Replacements: 16 Jack Singleton, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Jack Stanley, 19 Ruan Ackermann, 20 Jordy Reid, 21 Joe Simpson, 22 Billy Twelvetrees, 23 Louis Rees-Zammit

London Irish: 15 Tom Homer, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Matt Williams, 12 Terrence Hepetema, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Nick Phipps; 1 Harry Elrington, 2 Agustin Creevy, 3 Sekope Kepu, 4 George Nott, 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 6 Matt Rogerson, 7 Blair Cowan (capt), 8 Albert Tuisue,

Replacements: 16 Matt Cornish, 17 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18 Ollie Hoskins, 19 Jack Cooke, 20 Ben Donnell, 21 Ben Meehan, 22 Ross Neal, 23 James Stokes