Tag: Rugby

New Zealand will be eager to avoid back-to-back defeats for the first time since 2011 when they face Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

The 36-34 Rugby Championship loss on home soil to South Africa has lived with the All Blacks for a fortnight after the week’s break in the competition and they will be determined to bounce back and secure a victory that could wrap up the silverware for a third successive year.

Standing in their way is a confident Pumas side who will be buoyed by their performance in beating the Wallabies 23-19 in their last match. Indeed Argentina under Mario Ledesma are growing in confidence and that’s good news not just for the Rugby Championship but the world game.

It will take a Herculean performance to end their barren run of results against the All Blacks though – they have yet to beat them in 27 attempts. Furthermore New Zealand have beaten the Pumas by a double-figure margin in their last five games in Argentina, averaging 39 points in each.

If Argentina are to stand a chance they will need to replicate their strong starts to games in this year’s Rugby Championship. They’ve scored the most first-half points of any team (65) and also have the best first-half points difference on aggregate (+16), having shipped just 49. However, as it is well known, the All Blacks regularly turn the screw during the second period so we could be set for a game of two halves.

New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen this week labelled Argentina a “dangerous beast” and in front of 50,000 supporters, the Pumas are going to be fired up and desperate to end the drought against the men in black. New Zealand, however, are smarting and that could spell trouble for the hosts.

Players to watch:

For Argentina: Shifting out to his unfavoured position of wing is made tougher for Matias Moroni by the fact he’s up against Waisake Naholo on Saturday. Although Moroni has played out wide before, his best position is centre but due to injuries he finds himself wearing jersey 11. While he is a strong and intelligent runner, it’s defensively where he must be excellent against the threat of Naholo and Ben Smith in the wide channels. Also keep an eye on returning prop Ramiro Herrera, whose comeback is a big boost not just in the scrum but around the field.

For New Zealand: Much was said about Beauden Barrett in the aftermath of their loss to South Africa, with his goal-kicking and inability to take the drop-goal option a hot topic. We have long discussed his form off the tee and it was therefore surprising that Jordie Barrett was not handed the responsibilities during the game, or better still from the outset. Beauden will look to banish a few demons in Buenos Aires and with the spotlight on him in this facet of his game, he needs to start firing as Richie Mo’unga is waiting in the wings on the bench.

Head-to-head: It’s the midfield for this one as the return of Sonny Bill Williams alongside Ryan Crotty is going to be an interesting watch. Williams comes in after a real lack of game time due to injury and if he is not 100 percent then the dynamic Bautista Ezcurra will punish him. Jeronimo De La Fuente is also a rugged operator and this battle between the 12 and 13s could have a large say on Saturday.

Previous results:

2018: New Zealand won 46-24 in Nelson
2017: New Zealand won 36-10 in Buenos Aires
2017: New Zealand won 39-22 in New Plymouth
2016: New Zealand won 36-17 in Buenos Aires
2016: New Zealand won 57-22 in Hamilton
2015: New Zealand won 26-16 in London
2015: New Zealand won 39-18 in Christchurch
2014: New Zealand won 34-13 in La Plata

Prediction: While the pack is missing a few key players, the All Blacks should have enough overall to take this. New Zealand by 14.

The teams:

Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Jeronimo De La Fuente, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 11 Matias Moroni, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustin Creevy, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Matias Orlando, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere

New Zealand: 15 Ben Smith, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Samuel Whitelock (c), 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Karl Tu’inukuafe
Replacements: 16 Nathan Harris, 17 Tim Perry, 18 Angus Ta’avao, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Ardie Savea, 21 Aaron Smith, 22 Richie Mo’unga, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown

Date: Saturday, September 29
Venue: Estadio José Amalfitani, Buenos Aires
Kick-off: 19:40 local (23:40 BST, 22:40 GMT)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Television match official: David Grashoff (England)

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Argentina head coach Mario Ledesma has made two changes in personnel to his starting line-up that will take on New Zealand at Velez Sarsfield.

Ramiro Herrera and Bautista Ezcurra are the players coming in to replace Santiago Medrano and Ramiro Moyano for the Rugby Championship clash.

Ezcurra’s inclusion means a reshuffle to the Pumas backline as Matias Moroni moves to left wing and Jeronimo De La Fuente switches to number 13.

Argentina, who shocked Australia on the Gold Coast last time out, also have Matias Orlando and Sebastian Cancelliere among their replacements.

Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Jeronimo De La Fuente, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 11 Matias Moroni, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustin Creevy, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Matias Orlando, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere

Date: Saturday, September 29
Venue: Estadio José Amalfitani, Buenos Aires
Kick-off: 19:40 local (23:40 BST, 22:40 GMT)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Television match official: David Grashoff (England)

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Ahead of Friday’s Premiership round opener at Kingston Park, Newcastle Falcons fly-half Toby Flood and Wasps wing Christian Wade build up to the intriguing game with a video preview.

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Western Province head coach John Dobson has made eight alterations to his starting line-up to take on the Sharks in Cape Town on Saturday.

Five changes come in the pack and three are in the backline as Province look to make it five consecutive Currie Cup victories.

Captain Chris van Zyl, flank Kobus van Dyk and number eight Juarno Augustus are the only forwards remaining who started in the 38-12 victory against Griquas last week.

Ali Vermaak, Scarra Ntubeni and Michael Kumbirai form a new front-row, with Caylib Oosthuizen, Chad Solomon and Carlu Sadie on the replacements bench.

JD Schickerling starts alongside Van Zyl at lock, while Augustus and Van Dyk are joined by Ernst van Rhyn in the loose trio, with Chris Massyn among the replacements.

Scrum-half Jano Vermaak, wing SP Marais and full-back Dillyn Leyds are all back in the starting line-up, with Herschel Jantjies and JJ Engelbrecht set to provide impact in the second-half.

Dobson said that his team is determined to make the most of the opportunity at Newlands on Saturday.

“This will be a tough game between two good teams who are yet to lose this season, so we are grateful to have home advantage at Newlands,” he said.

“We have prepared well for this game and will be going all-out in what will be our last home game before the knock-out stages.”

Western Province: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan Kriel, 11 SP Marais, 10 Josh Stander, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Ernst van Rhyn, 6 Kobus van Dyk, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Chris van Zyl (c), 3 Michael Kumbirai, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Ali Vermaak
Replacements: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Cris Massyn, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 JJ Engelbrecht

Date: Saturday, September 29
Venue: Newlands
Kick-off: 14:00 local (13:00 BST, 12:00 GMT)
Referee: Ben Crouse
Assistant referees: Egon Seconds, Divan Uys
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman

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Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has made four alterations to his starting line-up to face Australia in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.

Right wing Cheslin Kolbe and number eight Sikhumbuzo Notshe are two of the changes that beat the All Blacks in an epic clash two weeks ago in Wellington and will make their run-on debuts for the Springboks.

Kolbe made his Springbok debut in Brisbane three weeks ago and was sent on as an early replacement against the All Blacks in Wellington the following week, scoring a vital try early in the second-half.

Warren Whiteley sustained a groin injury earlier in the week, which has ruled him out of action for this Saturday, paving the way for Notshe to earn his first start for the Springboks.

Jesse Kriel, who started at right wing in Wellington, moves back to outside centre. Kriel is set to partner the strong running Andre Esterhuizen in a revamped Springbok midfield as a result of the injuries to Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am.

Up front there is a rotation at loosehead prop between Tendai Mtawarira and Steven Kitshoff, who on this occasion will provide impact off the bench. The rest of the starting line-up is unchanged, with Mtawarira set to make his 106th Test match appearance for the Springboks on Saturday.

There are however some tweaks to the replacement bench. Marco van Staden comes into the matchday squad as replacement for Francois Louw, and Embrose Papier is now the back-up scrum-half in place of Ross Cronje. Furthermore, the versatile Damian Willemse returns to the bench.

“Cheslin has been very impressive since he joined the squad a few weeks ago and now he gets a deserved opportunity to start in a big Test,” said Erasmus.

“The same applies for Notshe, who did very well in the role of impact player during the English series. He has kept on working hard and he deserves his opportunity in the starting team.

“The inclusion of ‘Beast’ in the front row is a straight swap for Steven and Jesse returns to outside centre, a position where he has played most of his Test rugby, next to André, who started in four Tests already this year.”

The bench made a telling impact in Wellington, which is something Erasmus will once more demand from his replacements this weekend.

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 André Esterhuizen, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Damian Willemse

Date: Saturday, September 29
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Kick-off: 17:05 local (16:05 BST, 15:05 GMT)
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Matthew Carley (England)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)

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England hooker Dylan Hartley has praised Northampton team-mate Ben Franks, lifting the lid on the prop’s own lunch box and training methods.

Franks, 34, joined the Saints ahead of 2018/19 and has immediately impressed the England captain, who’s giving him an extra boost this year.

“I have got a new mate, Ben Franks and he is 34,” Hartley told England Rugby, with the hooker back playing this season after taking a break.

“He trains better than anyone I’ve ever seen. He finds time in his day to do extras, like extra weight sessions.

“He does his own warm-up sessions, he carries round his own lunch box and brings in his own food. When he started playing, he didn’t get food, so he had to bring his own and he’s always done that.”

Hartley was back in England training this past week but now returns to Northampton and at 32 years old, the hooker treats veteran Franks as a role model.

“I asked him why and he told me he’s scared that if he stops doing the work that his body will shut down, so he works incredibly hard to maintain his ability to play. I see someone like him as a great role model even though he is only a couple of years older than me,” he said.

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Ahead of the fifth round of the Rugby Championship, we look at the best bets from the South Africa v Australia and Argentina v New Zealand games.

South Africa v Australia

The Springboks will be keen to continue with their fine recent form when they face the Wallabies, who are currently at bottom of the table.

The Springboks are unbeaten in five previous matches at the Nelson Mandela Stadium and that record and their shock victory over New Zealand in their previous match, makes them favourites with the bookmakers, who on average have them around the 1/3 mark.

Meanwhile, Michael Cheika’s charges are best priced at 11/4 with William Hill and Smarkets to claim the victory. These two sides are evenly matched and drew both their matches in last year’s competition and the average odds on that happening again is 25/1.

Although they are the underdogs in this Test, Australia have plenty of game-breakers in their side and they look a handy option to score the opening try. A Wallabies try as the game’s opening score is at 6/1 or if you want to take a bet on them opening the scoring with a penalty, 888sport have them at 5/2.

With matches between these sides usually close, South Africa are 5/2 to win by a margin of between one to seven points while Australia’s odds to win by the same margin is at 7/2.

Australia’s chances of winning both halves also looks enticing at 13/2 on average but the Boks’ are in Port Elizabeth and a victory for the home side by between 11 and 15 points is worth a try with odds of 13/2 on Ladbrokes and Coral.

Elsewhere, the first try-scorer odds of 16/1 with SkyBet for Marika Koroibete catch the eye while the favourite in this market is Springbok wing Aphiwe Dyantyi (17/2 with Betfair).

Argentina v New Zealand

New Zealand will be smarting after their recent Rugby Championship home defeat to South Africa when they tackle Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Those who backed the Boks to win Wellington deserve a round of applause as few saw that one coming, especially after the All Blacks’ start.

This week Steve Hansen’s men are as short at 1/12 with some bookmakers to prevail but surely that’s excessive seeing as Argentina come into this game following a victory on the road in Australia while New Zealand are missing captain Kieran Read, Brodie Retallick and Owen Franks.

Argentina are 17/2 with BetVictor while the handicap is at 17 points, with Betway offering an Evens price on that market. The same bookie also has odds of 8/1 on Argentina leading at half-time but New Zealand coming away with the victory, which doesn’t look a bad bet to take. On the same market – if you think Argentina are set for a great day – the Pumas are 16/1 with BetVictor to be half-time/full-time winners.

The Pumas have shown real improvement under Mario Ledesma and one wouldn’t expect them to be walked over, with their counter-attack making them a dangerous side. New Zealand won’t have an easy day so the All Blacks not to win both halves at 16/13 with 888sport looks a safe bet.

On the player front it’s hard to look past Rieko Ioane (15/2 with Betfair), Waisake Naholo (17/2 with Betfair) and Bautista Delguy (16/1 with Bet365) as first try-scorer options.

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The Brumbies have announced the signing of Wallabies prop James Slipper on a two-year deal commencing from the 2019 Super Rugby season.

The former Reds stalwart made his debut for both club and country in 2010 and took no time in establishing himself as one of the best props in the world.

Ferocious at scrum-time, with superb skills in the loose, and capable at either loose or tighthead, Slipper is the quintessential modern front-row.

Having played all his 104 Super Rugby games with the Reds, Slipper makes the move to Canberra looking to rekindle the form which made him one of the Australia’s best performers, aiming to return to the top following his two-month ban for violating Rugby Australia’s illicit drugs policy.

“The Brumbies have always had a long history of making players better through their program, so to get a chance to be a part of that is very exciting and something I am looking forward to,” Slipper told the Brumbies’ official website.

“When I spoke with Dan (McKellar) about 2019 and beyond I was very impressed and cannot thank both him and the Brumbies organisation enough for the opportunity to take my rugby career forward with them.”

The Southport School product made his much-publicised return to rugby during the Wallabies pre-Bledisloe Super Rugby trial, where he impressed many with his work rate and desire in defence.

Slipper has brought that demeanour into the National Rugby Championship (NRC), playing a key-role in Queensland Country’s impressive start to their title defence, putting in a brilliant man-of-the-match performance against the Canberra Vikings at Viking Park.

The versatile front-row was superb when Vikings met Queensland in the opening round of the NRC and will join what is an already strong stock of Brumbies props for the 2019 Super Rugby season.

“We are excited to have a player of the calibre of James joining the Brumbies,” said Brumbies head coach Dan McKellar.

“When performing at his best James is a quality international prop. He brings very good set piece, physicality and raw aggression which are all qualities we look for in our front rowers. Clearly after playing over 80 tests and more than 100 Super Rugby games he offers enormous experience to the group.

“We also understand that the last 12 months have been a challenging time for James and his family. However, following several meetings and discussions with James it is clear he is in now in a very good head space and is highly motivated to get back to professional rugby and prove a point.

“We believe that James will benefit from being a part of the Brumbies culture and environment and receive the support he needs to succeed. Something the Brumbies have always done is provide people with opportunity and we feel that this is what we are offering James – an opportunity to get his career back on track and improve and grow as a player and a person.”

The signing of Slipper adds to a Brumbies recruiting-list which includes Pete Samu, Toni Pulu, Irae Simone, Murray Douglas and Tom Wright, not to mention the host of Brumbies Academy players who have signed their first professional deals with the club.

The Brumbies begin their Super Rugby season on Friday 15 February 2019 with the Rebels the visitors to GIO Stadium in Canberra.

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Four games take place in the Premiership on Saturday, with Leicester Tigers and Sale closing out the weekend’s action on Sunday at Welford Road.

Saturday

Bristol v Northampton Saints

Bristol head coach Pat Lam has made two enforced changes from the side that beat Harlequins last weekend for this enocunter with Saints.

Jack Lam replaces Jordan Crane (hamstring) in the back-row, while Joe Latta recovers from a shoulder injury to come in for Chris Vui (groin).

On the replacements bench Nic Stirzaker comes into the 23-man squad in place of Harry Randall (knee), while Nick Haining is also included.

Meanwhile, Northampton’s director of rugby Chris Boyd makes two changes to his starting XV after the narrowest of defeats in Bath last weekend.

Boyd brings centre Luther Burrell back into the midfield to join Piers Francis while tighthead prop Ehren Painter comes into the front-row alongside co-captains Alex Waller and Dylan Hartley.

Northampton’s back three of Tom Collins, Taqele Naiyaravoro, and Ahsee Tuala continue together, while Cobus Reinach and Dan Biggar make their fifth straight starts in the half-back positions.

Saints’ engine room will not be short of height with towering locks David Ribbans and Courtney Lawes continuing, while Teimana Harrison keeps hold of the number eight jersey with Jamie Gibson and Lewis Ludlam either side of him after both flankers impressed in torrential conditions at Bath.

Amongst the replacements, Andrew Kellaway is named again after making his Saints debut last weekend, with the likes of Harry Mallinder, Mitch Eadie, Alex Mitchell and Api Ratuniyarawa all also looking to make an impact off the bench.

Form: Bristol Bears’ four games in Premiership Rugby this season have all been won by the home side on the day. The Bears have not lost at Ashton Gate since Jersey were the visitors in the Championship last March. Northampton Saints’ solitary victory in the first four rounds was 25-18 at home to Harlequins on 7 September. The Saints most recent away win in Premiership Rugby was 27-21 at Leicester on 14 April. Northampton have won their last five matches against Bristol in all tournaments since the Bears 14-13 victory at Memorial Stadium in the Premiership in November 2008

The teams:

Bristol: 15 Piers O’Conor, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Will Hurrell, 12 Siale Piutau, 11 Alapati Leiua, 10 Ian Madigan, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Jack Lam, 7 George Smith, 6 Steve Luatua (c), 5 Joe Latta, 4 Ed Holmes, 3 John Afoa, 2 Harry Thacker, 1 Yann Thomas
Replacements: 16 Nick Fenton-Wells, 17 Jake Woolmore, 18 Jake Armstrong, 19 Joe Joyce, 20 Nick Haining, 21 Nic Stirzaker, 22 Callum Sheedy, 23 Zane Kirchner

Northampton: 15 Ahsee Tuala, 14 Tom Collins, 13 Luther Burrell, 12 Piers Francis, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Teimana Harrison, 7 Lewis Ludlam, 6 Jamie Gibson, 5 Courtney Lawes, 4 David Ribbans, 3 Ehren Painter, 2 Dylan Hartley (cc), 1 Alex Waller (cc)
Replacements: 16 Mike Haywood, 17 Francois Van Wyk, 18 Ben Franks, 19 Api Ratuniyarawa, 20 Mitch Eadie, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Andrew Kellaway 23 Harry Mallinder

Date: Saturday, September 29
Venue: Ashton Gate
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant referees: Dean Richards Jonathan Healy
Television match official: Trevor Fisher

Exeter Chiefs v Worcester Warriors

As has been the case in every game this season, the Chiefs have again utilised their squad to the full ahead of kick-off against the Warriors at Sandy Park.

With options aplenty at the disposal of the Exeter coaching staff right now, changes have again been made to their winning formula, including the decision to give England trio Luke Cowan-Dickie, Don Armand and Henry Slade a well-earned week off.

In the pack, a new-look front-row sees Alec Hepburn, Jack Yeandle and Tomas Francis all start Saturday’s fixture, as do powerhouse forwards Dave Dennis and Dave Ewers.

Behind the scrum, Gareth Steenson returns at fly-half for Joe Simmonds, Ollie Devoto is recalled in the centre, while on the wing Jack Nowell is also back in action, meaning a shift for Santiago Cordero to full-back.

Meanwhile, Warriors director of rugby Alan Solomons has made six changes to his side for this encounter.

Perry Humphreys, Ashley Beck, Jono Lance, Gareth Milasinovich, Darren Barry and Ted Hill are all handed starts as Warriors look to replicate last season’s epic result where they picked up a remarkable 6-5 win at Sandy Park.

Humphreys returned from injury to score in Monday’s Worcester Cavaliers win against Sale Jets and replaces Bryce Heem on the wing, while Wales international Beck gets his first Warriors start in place of Francois Venter.

Lance is handed his first start of the season in place of Duncan Weir while Milasinovich deputises for the injured Nick Schonert (dead leg).

Barry comes in for Pierce Phillips (dislocated thumb) and 19-year-old Ted Hill is handed his first Premiership Rugby start after his two tries off the bench helped defeat Leicester Tigers last weekend. Sam Lewis misses out with a hip injury.

Form: Exeter Chiefs have not lost a regular season Premiership Rugby match since Round 15 last year on a visit to Wasps. The Chiefs have won their last eight home games at Sandy Park in all tournaments since Worcester beat them there 6-5 on 10 February. Worcester Warriors ended a four-game losing streak in Premiership Rugby with their second successive victory at Leicester’s Welford Road ground at the weekend. The Warriors have not won back-to-back away games in the competition since beating Newcastle and Harlequins in March 2016. The Warriors have won their last two matches against the Chiefs, 31-21 in the Anglo-Welsh Cup at Sixways in January (the only defeat Chiefs suffered last year in that competition) and the Premiership win at Sandy Park two weeks later.

The teams:

Exeter: 15 Santiago Cordero, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Ian Whitten, 12 Ollie Devoto, 11 Alex Cuthbert, 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Jack Maunder, 8 Sam Simmonds, 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Dave Dennis, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Jack Yeandle (c), 1 Alec Hepburn
Replacements: 16 Elvis Taione, 17 Ben Moon, 18 Harry Williams, 19 Ollie Atkins, 20 Sean Lonsdale, 21 Stu Townsend, 22 Joe Simmonds, 23 Sam Hill

Worcester: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Perry Humphreys, 13 Ashley Beck, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Jono Lance, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 GJ van Velze (c), 7 Marco Mama, 6 Ted Hill, 5 Darren Barry, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Gareth Milasinovich, 2 Jack Singleton, 1 Callum Black
Replacements: 16 Joe Taufete’e, 17 Ryan Bower, 18 Simon Kerrod, 19 Andrew Kitchener, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Michael Heaney, 22 Duncan Weir, 23 Ollie Lawrence

Date: Saturday, September 29
Venue: Sandy Park
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Ian Tempest
Assistant referees: Matthew O’Grady, Robert Warburton
Television match official: Claire Hodnett

Gloucester v Harlequins

Gloucester make five changes to their starting line-up, three in the backs and two in the forwards, as they name their side for Saturday’s Premiership fixture at home to Harlequins.

In the backline, Tom Hudson, Mark Atkinson and Ben Vellacott will all make their first starts of the season with Jason Woodward, Billy Twelvetrees and Callum Braley named amongst the replacements.

In the pack, James Hanson comes in for Franco Marais at hooker while Ben Morgan is named at number eight with Ruan Ackermann having failed to recover from the knock he picked up at Saracens last Sunday.

For Quins, co-captain James Horwill and Mike Brown are back as they take on Gloucester at Kingsholm.

Second-row Horwill, who shares the captaincy with Chris Robshaw, makes his first start for the team since April while Brown, who played on the wing in the first match of the season, is at full-back having recovered from a wrist injury.

Elsewhere, Tim Visser makes his first start of the season on the left wing and Renaldo Bothma starts at flanker.

Form: Gloucester suffered a first reversal of the new Premiership campaign on Sunday at Saracens. Gloucester’s only defeat in their last five matches at Kingsholm in all tournaments was to Bath in round 21 of Premiership Rugby last season. Harlequins have won just once in Premiership Rugby since Round 17 last season, 51-23 at home to Sale in Round One. The Londoners have lost their last eleven away games in the tournament since beating Wasps at the Ricoh Arena twelve months ago, representing their worst run on their travels since 2000. Each side won its respective home game when they met in Premiership Rugby last season whilst ‘Quins have won on two of their last four visits to Kingsholm in the tournament.

The teams:

Gloucester: 15 Tom Hudson, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Henry Trinder, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Matt Banahan, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Ben Vellacott, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Lewis Ludlow, 6 Jake Polledri, 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 4 Ed Slater (c), 3 Fraser Balmain, 2 James Hanson, 1 Josh Hohneck
Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Alex Seville, 18 Ciaran Knight, 19 Freddie Clarke, 20 Gareth Evans, 21 Callum Braley, 22 Billy Twelvetrees, 23 Jason Woodward

Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Nathan Earle, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Tim Visser, 10 James Lang, 9 Danny Care, 8 James Chisholm, 7 Chris Robshaw (cc), 6 Renaldo Bothma, 5 James Horwill (cc), 4 Matt Symons, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Max Crumpton, 1 Joe Marler
Replacements: 16 Dave Ward, 17 Lewis Boyce, 18 Will Collier, 19 Stan South, 20 Semi Kunatani, 21 Charlie Mulchrone, 22 Marcus Smith, 23 Aaron Morris

Date: Saturday, September 29
Venue: Kingsholm
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: JP Doyle
Assistant referees: Steve Lee, Simon McConnell
Television match official: Keith Lewis

Saracens v Bath

Billy Vunipola and Jackson Wray return to the back-row for Saracens’ Premiership clash against Bath at Allianz Park.

Vunipola missed Sarries’ win over Gloucester last time out due to a pre-arranged medical procedure while Wray has been absent since leaving the field with a head knock in round two.

USA international Titi Lamositele earns his first start of the season with Vincent Koch on Springboks duty and Nick Isiekwe comes back into the pack at blindside flanker meaning Maro Itoje switches to lock to partner George Kruis.

In the backs, Alex Goode takes the 15 jersey, with Liam Williams moving to the wing, and Alex Lozowski is reinstated at outside centre.

Cornish Pirates loanee Christian Judge will make his debut from the bench.

Meanwhile, Francois Louw returns to the Bath starting line-up to face Saracens at Allianz Park.

The South African makes his first start of the Premiership season after guiding his country to a 36-34 victory over New Zealand in the Rugby Championship two weeks ago.

Louw will wear the number seven jersey, with Josh Bayliss and Paul Grant completing the back-row. Charlie Ewels captains the side and will feature in the second-row alongside Elliott Stooke, who made an impact off the bench in last weekend’s victory over Northampton Saints.

In the front-row, Jacques van Rooyen will make his first start in the blue, black and white at loosehead, with Jack Walker and Anthony Perenise at hooker and tighthead respectively.

Chris Cook and Rhys Priestland form the half-back pairing, whilst Max Clark returns to action to partner Max Wright in the midfield.

Tom Homer and Semesa Rokoduguni occupy the wing positions, with Darren Atkins continuing at full-back.

Form: Saracens became the first ever club to secure maximum league points from their first four matches of a new Premiership Rugby campaign in beating Gloucester on Sunday. Saracens have lost just twice at Allianz Park in Premiership Rugby since March 2016 – to Exeter in November 2017 and Leicester in February 2018. Bath have lost just one of their last six Premiership Rugby fixtures: 10-17 at Bristol on the opening weekend. Bath have won two of their last three away games, at Gloucester and Harlequins. The last five encounters between the two clubs have been won by the home side on the day whilst Bath have not won on Saracens turf since a trip to Vicarage Road in February 2010.

The teams:

Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Liam Williams, 13 Alex Lozowski, 12 Brad Barritt (c), 11 Sean Maitland, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Jackson Wray, 6 Nick Isiekwe, 5 George Kruis, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Titi Lamositele, 2 Jamie George, 1 Mako Vunipola
Replacements: 16 Christopher Tolofua, 17 Richard Barrington, 18 Christian Judge, 19 Will Skelton, 20 Schalk Burger, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Nick Tompkins, 23 Alex Lewington

Bath: 15 Darren Atkins, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Max Clark, 12 Max Wright, 11 Tom Homer, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Chris Cook, 8 Paul Grant, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Josh Bayliss, 5 Elliott Stooke, 4 Charlie Ewels (c), 3 Anthony Perenise, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Jacques van Rooyen
Replacements: 16 Michael van Vuuren, 17 Lucas Noguera, 18 Victor Delmas, 19 Levi Douglas, 20 Miles Reid, 21 Max Green, 22 Freddie Burns, 23 Jackson Willison

Date: Saturday, September 29
Venue: Allianz Park
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant referees: Roy Maybank, Anthony Woodthorpe
Television match official: Geoffrey Warren

Sunday

Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks

Kyle Eastmond and Adam Thompstone return to the Leicester Tigers backline for Sunday’s home game against Sale Sharks.

Eastmond came off the bench to play a major part in the Tigers’ second-half fightback against Worcester Warriors last weekend and starts at centre in the absence of Manu Tuilagi who has a leg injury, while Thompstone has recovered from injury to take his place on the wing, with Jonah Holmes reverting to the bench.

England U20s cap Ben White starts his first Premiership game at scrum-half, with Ben Youngs among the replacements after a knock in last Sunday’s defeat by Worcester prevented his participation at the England training camp this week.

Tigers interim head coach Geordan Murphy retains the same forward pack that started last week, including back-rowers David Denton and Guy Thompson, who both claimed their first tries for the club in that game at Welford Road.

Ross McMillan is included among the replacements and could make his debut as cover for skipper Tom Youngs at hooker.

For Sale, Andrei Ostrikov returns from injury for his first game of the season, while Rob Webber returns at hooker and Josh Strauss is included at number eight.

Rohan Janse van Rensburg returns to the match-day squad having last played for the club against Lyon in January before returning to the Lions.

Form: Leicester Tigers’ only victory so far this season was 49-33 at home to Newcastle three weeks ago. The Tigers have lost three of their last four matches at Welford Road. Sale Sharks’ solitary victory in Premiership Rugby since Round 19 last season was at home to Worcester on 9 September. Sale have not won away from home in Premiership Rugby since a visit to Northampton on 3 March. The Tigers have won their last three matches against the Sharks whilst Sale’s only victory at Welford Road since February 2008 was 10-3 in February 2016.

The teams:

Leicester: 15 Jordan Olowofela, 14 Adam Thompstone, 13 Gareth Owen, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben White, 8 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Guy Thompson, 6 David Denton, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Mike Williams, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Tom Youngs, 1 Greg Bateman
Replacements: 16 Ross McMillan, 17 David Feao, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Harry Wells, 20 Valentino Mapapalangi, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Tom Hardwick, 23 Jonah Holmes

Sale: 15 Byron McGuigan, 14 Denny Solomona, 13 Sam James, 12 Mark Jennings, 11 Marland Yarde, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Will Cliff, 8 Josh Strauss, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Jono Ross (c), 5 Andrei Ostrikov, 4 Bryn Evans, 3 WillGriff John, 2 Rob Webber, 1 Ross Harrison
Replacements: 16 Curtis Langdon, 17 Alexandru Tarus, 18 Joe Jones, 19 James Phillips, 20 Josh Beaumont, 21 Ben Curry, 22 Gus Warr, 23 Rohan Janse van Rensburg

Date: Sunday, September 30
Venue: Welford Road
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
Assistant referees: Adam Leal, Paul Dix
Television match official: Stuart Terheege

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Sonny Bill Williams admits to some nervousness returning to the All Blacks midfield for Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test with Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Out of Test action since the June series against France, Williams has been included at inside centre and is partnered with Ryan Crotty, who will move to outside centre.

Williams said it felt like it had been a while since he played but he was grateful to be back in the squad. While missing out on selection was disappointing for those affected, the bond they had as a midfield unit soon took over and they concentrated on doing their best for the players chosen.

There was some nervousness associated with being back in the spotlight on the field but he tried to thrive on that and understand the task ahead of them.

“When you’re in an environment that is so successful it drives success and the pressure to perform and not just win,” Williams told the All Blacks’ official website.

“The times that I have been involved with a loss we delve deeper into the solutions and we have those tough conversations that need to be had. We’ve done that this week.”

Williams had been taking in some of the social side of Argentina, being hosted by Pumas player Javier Ortega Desio at his home as the result of a long-standing friendship they have, and also being part of a group of All Blacks who visited San Martin prison where rugby is used as part of the rehabilitation of prisoners.

“They’ve done it so smart, a lot of their purpose or their vision there is to play rugby,” said Williams.

“They try and feed that.

“They’ve got a massive rugby field, when you go in their cells there’s paintings of rugby players everywhere. Obviously the lingo they use in there is all about rugby, rugby, rugby but then when you chuck in, ‘if you don’t get your educational standards up to scratch you’re not going to be able to play rugby’ then you get the change.

“So they’ve started off small then they’ve seen the benefits of it then they’ve gone to the governments and said, ‘look, can we get some funding?’ which they have so that’s awesome. I hear that it’s in over a hundred prisons world-wide and they’re looking at getting it into New Zealand as well so it’s a great initiative.”

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