Tag: Rugby

Gloucester have confirmed that Argentina international second-row Mariano Galarza will join Top 14 side Bordeaux-Begles with immediate effect.

The 31-year-old is currently in his fifth season with Gloucester, having moved from Worcester Warriors, and has made 62 competitive appearances for the Cherry and Whites.

One particular highlight of his time at Kingsholm was the part he played in Gloucester lifting the Challenge Cup in 2015.

However, an opportunity has now risen for Galarza to move to the Stade Chaban-Delmas and the club did not want to stand in his way.

“Mariano has been a terrific servant for Gloucester Rugby, an excellent player, a popular member of the squad and a great club man,” said director of rugby David Humphreys.

“However, we feel that second-row will be a real area of strength for us this season, especially when Tom Savage returns from injury and Franco Mostert arrives. So, the opportunity for Mariano to play his club rugby in France and to experience a new culture is a good one for him.

“I’d like to thank Mariano for his efforts during his time with Gloucester Rugby and, on behalf of everyone at the club, wish him all the very best for the future.”

Galarza himself admitted that it hadn’t been an easy decision.

“I have loved every minute of my time with Gloucester Rugby. It’s been more than a club, it’s been like a family to me and I had to think long and hard before deciding to move,” he said.

“But this is a great opportunity to play club rugby in France and also for my family and myself to experience life in a different country.

“I’ve made friends for life here at Gloucester Rugby and it will always have a special place in my heart. There is so much that I will miss, but especially matchdays at Kingsholm, in particular the supporters who have always treated me so well.”

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Argentina will be hoping to pick up back-to-back wins over Australia in Salta on Saturday, something they have never done in their history.

They ended a six-game losing streak against Australia with last month’s win on the Gold Coast, which piled more pressure on Michael Cheika. It was also the first time they’d won in Australia since 1983 as they came away with a much-needed shot in their arm for their confidence.

Now they will be keen to return to winning ways after defeat to New Zealand, with a victory securing third place in the Rugby Championship.

The Wallabies meanwhile are on a wretched run of form as, with just one win out of five games in the competition, the knives are sharpening in the Australian media. The coaches and players know this match is must-win to give them breathing space before November’s internationals. However a defeat for Australia in Salta would see them finish bottom of the Rugby Championship pile for the first time since its inception.

At times last Saturday against South Africa it felt like men against boys in terms of physicality, with the Springboks’ relentless defence knocking back the battered and bruised Wallaby carriers. This is one area they must improve but they will be buoyed by the Pumas’ woes at scrum time, with the All Blacks the latest to show that Argentina are struggling in a set-piece that was once renowned as their strength.

The Salta clash will be unfamiliar territory for Australia as they’ve never played at Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena while Argentina have won three and lost three at the venue. Australia’s poor form on the road is hard to ignore as they’ve lost their last four away games, scoring more than 12 points just once in that run; they will be out to avoid losing a fifth-straight away match for the first time since 2005.

The heat is therefore very much on for Cheika and company to turn around this dismal campaign with a big final push. If they play to their potential they should have enough quality to bring much-needed cheer to the camp. However, a fifth defeat in six may leave Rugby Australia with more questions to field, compounded by the fact they’d fall to eighth in the rankings, below the Pumas for the first time in 10 years.

Players to watch:

For Argentina: Nicolas Sanchez has been in the form of his life in recent outings, with his running game causing both the Wallabies and All Blacks plenty of issues. He seems to be full of confidence in that department so Australia must be wary of the threat the 29-year-old poses on Saturday. If Sanchez, who is top of this year’s points chart in the Rugby Championship, can replicate his recent showings it will give the Pumas every chance of improving on their strongest campaign to date, with a possible three wins from six games real progress.

For Australia: It was a quiet first Test start from Taniela Tupou last weekend as he could not impact his powerful game on the Boks. He will be desperate to make amends in Salta and we expect him to have a much busier outing this time around. While Tupou promises to be a handful in possession, the Wallabies will hope he backs that up with a dominant performance at scrum time, which has been a major area of weakness from the Pumas this year. Also keep an eye on Bernard Foley as he returns to the starting jersey, looking to nail down that spot.

Head-to-head: As mentioned, the Wallabies struggled physically against South Africa and need to up their game in that department on Saturday. The Wallaby back-row isn’t known for its brute force, as it’s more of a mobile trio, and this week they yet again come up against a bustling group in Pablo Matera, Marcos Kremer and Javier Ortega Desio. One feels that this contest could dictate how the match plays out.

Previous results:

2018: Argentina won 23-19 on Gold Coast
2018: Australia won 37-20 in Mendoza
2017: Australia won 45-20 in Canberra
2016: Australia won 21-33 in London
2016: Australia won 36-20 in Perth
2015: Australia won 29-15 in London (RWC semi-final)
2015: Australia won 34-9 in Mendoza
2014: Argentina won 21-17 in Mendoza

Prediction: We feel all the pressure could actually bring Australia together in this final outing. Wallabies by three.

The teams:

Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Matias Moroni, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 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 (c), 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere

Australia: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Israel Folau, 13 Reece Hodge, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia, 8 David Pocock, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Scott Sio
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Rob Simmons, 20 Rory Arnold, 21 Caleb Timu, 22 Nick Phipps, 23 Matt Toomua, 24 Tom Banks

Date: Saturday, October 6
Venue: Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena, Salta
Kick-off: 19:40 local (23:40 BST, 22:40 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Mathieu Raynal (France), Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)

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South Africa and New Zealand will conclude their Rugby Championship programme for 2018 in what should be a thrilling contest in Pretoria on Saturday.

Although the All Blacks secured their third successive tournament title when they beat the Pumas in Argentina last week, they will be out for revenge in this encounter as they have a score to settle with the Springboks, who claimed a shock 36-34 victory in the corresponding fixture in Wellington last month.

That result was the All Blacks’ first defeat in the Rugby Championship since 2015 and ended a six-match winning streak against the Boks, which means the world champions will not lack motivation this weekend.

The Springboks head into this match with plenty of confidence after that triumph in Wellington and a win over the Wallabies last weekend. The home side also have an impressive record at Lofus Versfeld, winning 77 percent of their 35 previous Tests played at the venue.

However, Loftus is a happy hunting ground for the All Blacks too as they have played five Tests there, winning four and losing only one, in 1970, and they registered a 45-26 victory in their last Test there in 2006.

Despite that impressive record, All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen is wary of the Boks, and expects another tough encounter.

“They are a pretty confident side the Boks, they’ve grown another arm and a leg since they knocked us over in Wellington,” he said.

“Thought they played really well against Aussie, they will be looking forward to fronting up again on Saturday.”

Hansen believes Saturday’s Test will be a gruelling affair which will go down to the wire.

“You’ve got two teams that are going to go at it, two big bulls in a bullpen – last man standing so to speak,” he added.

“That’s what Test rugby is all about and I think that is what the fans want to see too.

“They (fans) want to see real close games, whilst you reflect on the game back there where we lost. Which wasn’t great but I think everyone that watched the Test were excited about it.”

Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus said although his team has some momentum going into this Test, they will be looking to improve in all areas against a quality All Blacks team.

“They will test us in every department,” he said.

“The All Blacks usually hit back hard after a loss so we have to be mentally and physically ready for a massive contest. We will have to front up in defence and be clinical when we’re creating chances because the All Blacks punish you for errors and missed opportunities.

“The Springboks versus All Blacks at a packed Loftus, I think it’s going to be a special occasion.”

Players to watch:

For South Africa: If the Springboks want to repeat their heroics from Wellington this weekend, they will need their scrum-half Faf de Klerk to be at his best. The Sale Shark has played every minute of every match for South Africa in this year’s Rugby Championship which highlights his importance to the Springboks cause. De Klerk’s game-breaking skills are superb and his sniping breaks around the fringes of the rucks and mauls is sure to provide an attacking platform for the Boks.

For New Zealand: Although the All Blacks have numerous players who are brilliant with ball in hand, one player who has come to the fore with outstanding performances on attack is their young try-scoring sensation, Rieko Ioane. The 21-year-old is the leading Test try-scorer in the world in 2018 with nine five-pointers so far. Ioane scored his 20th try last weekend – in his 19th Test – which made him the 34th All Black to score 100 points in Test matches. He is also the 21st All Black to score 20 tries in Test matches.

Head-to-head: There are several intriguing duels across the park, the battle between the two hoookers, Malcolm Marx of South Africa and New Zealand’s Codie Taylor is one which should have a huge bearing on the end result. Although Marx is powerful in the tight exchanges, Taylor is also solid in that department although the Springbok has an edge at the breakdown where he has a low centre of gravity and is brilliant at winning turnovers. However, Taylor’s general play is superb as he has the skill-set of a backline player, ability to create chances for his team-mates and to round them off as well.

Previous results:

2018: South Africa won 36-34 in Wellington
2017: New Zealand won 25-24 in Cape Town
2017: New Zealand won 57-0 in Albany
2016: New Zealand won 57-15 in Durban
2016: New Zealand won 41-13 in Christchurch
2015: New Zealand won 20-18 in London (RWC semi-final)
2015: New Zealand won 27-20 in Johannesburg
2014: South Africa won 27-25 in Johannesburg

Prediction: After their stunning win in Wellington, the Springboks will fancy their chances in their backyard. However, lightning will not strike twice and the All Blacks will take this one, albeit narrowly. New Zealand to win by six points.

The teams:

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

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

Date: Saturday, October 6
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 17:05 local (16:05 BST, 15:05 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Matthew Carley (England)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)

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Wing Ramiro Moyano has recovered from a rib injury to be named in Argentina’s starting line-up to face Australia in Salta on Saturday.

He is one of two changes to the XV for the Rugby Championship game this weekend with head coach Mario Ledesma also bringing in Matias Orlando.

Orlando comes into the team for Bautista Ezcurra as Jeronimo de la Fuente shifts to his preferred position of inside centre, while Moyano replaces Bautista Delguy with Moroni moving to the right wing.

The pack remains the same but there are a couple of changes among the substitutes as Santiago Garcia Botta and Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias return to the squad.

Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Matias Moroni, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 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 (c), 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere

Date: Saturday, October 6
Venue: Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena, Salta
Kick-off: 19:40 local (23:40 BST, 22:40 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Mathieu Raynal (France), Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)

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The Sunwolves have completed the signings of centre Rene Ranger and fly-half Phil Burleigh ahead of the upcoming Super Rugby campaign.

Ranger, capped six times by New Zealand, joins once-capped Scotland international Burleigh in returning to the southern hemisphere competition.

The former All Black is currently playing Mitre 10 Cup rugby for Northland and has been snapped up by Sunwolves head coach Tony Brown. Ranger shot to fame at the Blues where his powerful carries made him an exciting watch.

Burleigh, meanwhile, is a former Highlanders centre who moved to Edinburgh and played fly-half.

The Sunwolves have also re-signed hooker Jaba Bregvadze and fly-half Hayden Parker and kick-off their season against the Sharks in February.

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All Blacks flanker Sam Cane is confident his side can turn the tables on the Springboks in their Rugby Championship clash on Saturday.

Getting over the travel demands associated with playing in Argentina and South Africa meant there hadn’t been much time for training, but Cane said that hadn’t lessened the All Blacks’ attitude or preparation for the Test in Pretoria.

“I’m relishing the challenge of facing them over here,” he told the All Blacks’ official website.

“I just don’t think it gets much tougher at altitude, their crowd, them in hot form. It’s us versus a few elements so it gets you going, it’s going to be big.

“Traditionally we’ve come together pretty well for big challenges but we can’t rest on what we’ve done for other games, that’s for sure.”

Prop Karl Tu’inukuafe said Wellington had been his first defeat in the All Blacks’ jersey and after experiencing the aftermath of a loss, he is raring to go.

“We’re looking forward to the game on Saturday,” he said.

He added on this weekend: “When it comes to scrums I get hyped up, I always love a good challenge.

“These guys (South Africa) have been one of the biggest challenges and I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

Cane said his Chiefs team-mate was being modest, revealing as a flanker it was possible to feel how much weight was going into the scrum through his shoulder.

“If he’s going for it I’m right up behind him, helping him but if it’s defensively and he’s just locking it down he allows me to get off just that second quicker which is nice,” he explained.

Tu’inukuafe said his approach to sides was to treat them all as the best.

“I don’t ever under-estimate anyone, they’re the best and I’ve got something to prove,” he revealed.

“They’re (South Africa) definitely good and I definitely have something to prove, I always put them above me.”

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Wallabies loosehead prop Tom Robertson’s Rugby World Cup chances have been clouded after he suffered a knee injury in training on Thursday.

Robertson hurt his knee during the main session in Buenos Aires and was on crutches as the team travelled to Salta later in the day.

The prop is yet to learn the extent of the damage with no time for scans before the team left for the weekend’s Pumas Test, but Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said it was a ‘significant’ one.

If the injury turns out to be an ACL tear, Robertson could be out for up to 12 months and his chances of playing at the World Cup, which kicks off in September 2019, would be very slim.

“I’d say he’s done a significant knee injury,” Cheika said after the session.

“I won’t pre-empt scans or anything like that but it’s not looking ideal.

“It was a very innocuous event, no contact, nothing, so it looks significant.”

With just three days left on their tour, Robertson will stay with the Wallabies until they return to Australia on Sunday but it seems unlikely he will play again in 2018 with the season wrapping up on November 25.

“He’ll stay with us now, there’s no point sending him home yet,” said Cheika.

“He’ll stay with us for the trip and then when he gets home, he’ll get the scans he needs and I imagine the operation he’ll need after that.”

Robertson’s injury is the latest in a string of injury setbacks for the Wallabies in recent weeks.

Taniela Tupou, Israel Folau and David Pocock have all been late scratchings ahead of various Rugby Championship Tests and Tatafu Polota-Nau went back to England after a hamstring injury in training ahead of the side’s Test against the Springboks in Port Elizabeth.

24-year-old Robertson has been in and out of the Wallabies side this year but was one of the form Australian props in Super Rugby.

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There’s four Premiership games on Saturday before one takes place on Sunday, with Northampton and Leicester doing battle at Twickenham.

Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers

Northampton Saints’ director of rugby Chris Boyd has made two changes to his starting XV for this week’s derby clash against Leicester Tigers.

Twickenham Stadium is the venue for the first East Midlands Derby of the season, with Saints hosting the game at the home of English rugby in aid of retired player Rob Horne, who will deliver the match ball in front of over 40,000 supporters.

The men in Black, Green and Gold arrive in south-west London off the back of a five-point win over Bristol Bears last weekend, and completed a season double over Tigers last term for the first time since 2005.

Boyd has called full-back Harry Mallinder and centre Andrew Kellaway into his starting team for the first time this season, with Piers Francis unavailable and Ahsee Tuala switching onto the wing.

Fresh from scoring his first Saints try last time out at Ashton Gate, Taqele Naiyaravoro completes the back three, with inside centre Luther Burrell partnering Kellaway in midfield, and Cobus Reinach and Dan Biggar filling the half-back positions once again.

Elsewhere, Boyd has named an unchanged pack following an impressive set-piece showing at Bristol, with Dylan Hartley and Alex Waller jointly leading the side in the front-row.

Meanwhile, Ben Youngs and Manu Tuilagi return to the Leicester starting line-up for Saturday’s Premiership fixture against the Saints.

Tigers’ interim head coach Geordan Murphy brings Tuilagi back into the team after a hamstring injury while Youngs starts at scrum-half after appearing as a replacement in the win over Sale Sharks last week.

Jonah Holmes also comes into the backline and there is one change in the forward pack where Harry Wells replaces Graham Kitchener.

Scrum-half Sam Harrison returns from injury to take his place among the replacements alongside England U20s quartet Joe Heyes, Sam Lewis, Tom Hardwick and Jordan Olowofela.

Form: Northampton Saints’ two victories this season were at home to Harlequins in Round 2 and away at Bristol in Round 5 of Premiership Rugby. Saints have been defeated on their two most recent visits to Twickenham Stadium, both last season, in the London double header against Saracens and in the ‘Big Game’ against Harlequins on 30 December. Leicester Tigers’ two victories this season have both been at home, against Newcastle in Round 2 and Sale in Round 5. Leicester have won on two of their last three visits to Twickenham Stadium, once on their only previous match against Northampton there in the 2013 Premiership Final. The Saints won both encounters against Tigers last season and have only once before achieved three victories in a row against their East Midlands rivals in Premiership Rugby, in 2002-2003.

The teams:

Northampton: 15 Harry Mallinder, 14 Ahsee Tuala, 13 Andrew Kellaway, 12 Luther Burrell, 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 Fraser Dingwall, 23 Tom Collins

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

Date: Saturday, October 6
Venue: Twickenham
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: JP Doyle
Assistant referees: Adam Leal, Roy Maybank
Television match official: Sean Davey

Sale Sharks v Newcastle Falcons

Australian international James O’Connor returns to Sale Sharks’ match-day squad for the Premiership game against Newcastle Falcons at the AJ Bell Stadium.

It will be nine months to the day since O’Connor’s last appearance against Harlequins in January.

AJ MacGinty returns to fly-half, while Sam James wears the full-back shirt this week with Byron McGuigan moving to the wing due to Denny Solomona’s absence through injury.

Elsewhere, former Lions centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg comes in for his first start of the season, replacing Mark Jennings, and James Phillips is selected ahead of Andrei Ostrikov at lock.

For Newcastle, Michael Young makes his first appearance of the Premiership season on Saturday when the Falcons travel to northern rivals Sale.

Young’s inclusion is the only change to the Falcons side which took a bonus-point from last week’s visit of Wasps. Newcastle will be looking to repeat the one-point victory they achieved away to the Sharks during the early part of last season.

Kyle Cooper, David Wilson and Ryan Burrows all come onto the bench after also showing up well for the A Team on Monday.

Form: Before this season the last time that Sale Sharks propped up the Premiership Rugby league table after Round 1 was in season 2012/13. Sale’s only victory in their last eight Premiership Rugby matches was 21-15 at home to Worcester in Round 2. Newcastle Falcons have won just one of their last seven Premiership Rugby encounters – 23-20 at Worcester in Round 3. Newcastle won both of their fixtures with Sale last season although the Sharks did obtain a losing bonus point in both. The last eleven clashes between the two clubs in Premiership Rugby have been evenly split with five wins apiece plus a draw and in all bar one instance (where the margin was 8 points) the defeated side has obtained a losing bonus point. The Falcons have won twice before at AJ Bell Stadium, on their first visit in September 2013 and their most recent visit in September 2017.

The teams:

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

Newcastle: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Vereniki Goneva, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Sinoti Sinoti, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Michael Young, 8 Mark Wilson, 7 Will Welch (c), 6 Gary Graham, 5 Tevita Cavubati, 4 Calum Green, 3 Logovi’i Mulipola, 2 George McGuigan, 1 Adam Brocklebank
Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Sami Mavinga, 18 David Wilson, 19 Will Witty, 20 Ryan Burrows, 21 Sonatane Takulua, 22 Joel Hodgson, 23 Tom Penny

Date: Saturday, October 6
Venue: AJ Bell Stadium
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Tom Foley
Assistant referees: Anthony Woodthorpe, Tim Wigglesworth
Television match official: Trevor Fisher

Wasps v Gloucester

Wasps director of rugby Dai Young has made eight changes to his side ahead of this Saturday’s Premiership clash with Gloucester at the Ricoh Arena.

All Black fly-half Lima Sopoaga, who proved to be Wasps’ match-winner last time out at Newcastle Falcons, misses out with a neck injury, meaning Billy Searle deputises at fly-half.

Dan Robson also gets to start in the half-back combination while Elliot Daly returns to the starting line-up as captain to form the centre pairing with Juan de Jongh.

Christian Wade is recalled in place of Marcus Watson and partners Josh Bassett and Rob Miller in the back three.

The front-row sees a clean sweep of changes, as last week’s bench become this week’s starters, with Ben Harris, Tommy Taylor and Kieran Brookes all getting the nod.

Will Rowlands and James Gaskell keep their spots in the second-row as do Ashley Johnson and Nizaam Carr in the back-row, but Nathan Hughes is restored to the starting XV.

Thomas Young and Craig Hampson could make their first appearances of the season from the bench while Gaby Lovobalavu recovers from a knee injury to be named among the replacements.

Meanwhile, looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat at home to Harlequins, Gloucester make just one change to their starting line-up with Billy Twelvetrees partnering Mark Atkinson in midfield.

Twelvetrees, who has contributed 43 points to Gloucester’s Premiership campaign so far, comes in for Henry Trinder at outside centre in the only change to the Cherry and Whites’ starting line-up.

And there is just the one alteration to the replacements bench as well, Owen Williams replacing Twelvetrees.

Form: Wasps’ solitary defeat so far this season was at home to Exeter in Round 2 of Premiership Rugby, their only defeat at the Ricoh Arena since January. Gloucester have slipped to back-to-back defeats at Saracens and at home to Harlequins to end their unbeaten start to the campaign. Gloucester have won only once on the road in Premiership Rugby since last November – 33-29 at London Irish in March. Wasps are unbeaten in their last three fixtures against Gloucester whilst Gloucester’s most recent victory on Wasps soil was at Adams Park in February 2011.

The teams:

Wasps: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Elliot Daly (c), 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Billy Searle, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 Nizaam Carr, 6 Ashley Johnson, 5 James Gaskell, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 Kieran Brookes, 2 Tommy Taylor, 1 Ben Harris
Replacements: 16 Tom Cruse, 17 Zurabi Zhvania, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Kearnan Myall, 20 Thomas Young, 21 Craig Hampson, 22 Michael Le Bourgeois, 23 Gaby Lovobalavu

Gloucester: 15 Tom Hudson, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Billy Twelvetrees, 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 Owen Williams, 23 Jason Woodward

Date: Saturday, October 6
Venue: Ricoh Arena
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
Assistant referees: Andrew Jackson, Wayne Falla
Television match official: Claire Hodnett

Harlequins v Saracens

Harlequins full-back Mike Brown will make his 300th appearance for Harlequins this Saturday against Saracens at Twickenham Stoop.

Brown is part of a backline which includes scrum-half Danny Care, who is reaching a milestone of his own with his 250th club appearance, and USA international Paul Lasike at inside centre.

Lasike, a former NFL fullback with the Chicago Bears, replaces Ben Tapuai who is rested and Marcus Smith returns to start at fly-half.

The forwards remain unchanged from the trip to Kingsholm while Alofa Alofa is in the match 23 for the first time this season.

Meanwhile, Saracens have made six changes for the trip to their London rivals.

Brad Barritt misses out after having an operation on a facial injury picked up against Bath so Nick Tompkins comes in at 13 with Alex Lozowski moving to inside centre.

Flying wingers Alex Lewington and David Strettle grab starts on the left and right flanks respectively and England international Ben Spencer returns at scrum-half.

In the pack, Will Skelton is promoted to starting lock and Mike Rhodes takes the openside slot. Maro Itoje will make his 100th Saracens appearance from the bench.

Form: Harlequins’ 27-25 victory at Gloucester on Saturday ended a three-game losing run. Harlequins have won just twice at The Stoop in Premiership Rugby since December, against Bath in March and Sale in September. Saracens have now won twelve successive Premiership Rugby matches, the last eleven (including last season’s play-offs) scoring four or more tries in each. Sarries have not been defeated since Leinster knocked them out of the European Champions Cup at the quarter-final stage in Dublin in April. The last seven meetings between the two clubs in Premiership Rugby have all been won by the ‘home’ side on the day, those games being played at Wembley Stadium, The Stoop and the London (Olympic) Stadium. Saracens have not been victorious at The Stoop since a 39-0 win there in September 2014.

The teams:

Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Nathan Earle, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Paul Lasike, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Marcus Smith, 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 James Lang, 23 Alofa Alofa

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

Date: Saturday, October 6
Venue: Twickenham Stoop
Kick-off: 19:30 BST (18:30 GMT)
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant referees: Hamish Smales, Robert Warburton
Television match official: David Rose

Worcester Warriors v Bristol Bears

Worcester Warriors have made five changes to their starting line-up for Bristol Bears’ visit to Sixways on Sunday.

Wing Bryce Heem, centre Francois Venter, tighthead prop Nick Schonert and openside flanker Sam Lewis have all recovered from injuries which ruled them out of last week’s clash with Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park.

Heem returns from a groin strain, Venter has overcome a collarbone injury and Scotland international Duncan Weir – who was an unused replacement last week – returns to the starting line-up in the third change to the back division.

Schonert returns in the front-row following his recovery from a dead leg and Lewis, who has overcome a hip injury, is named in a re-jigged back-row. Marco Mama, who played at openside last week, switches to the blindside flank against his former club.

Lock Pierce Phillips is fit again after a dislocated thumb forced him to miss the Exeter trip. He takes his place on the bench alongside Ted Hill – who has scored three tries in two Premiership appearances – Jono Lance and Perry Humphreys, who all started last week.

Meanwhile, Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam has mades three changes to his starting line-up for their visit to Sixways.

Zane Kirchner is set for his first start at full-back. The South African international starts in place of Piers O’Conor (foot) who is unavailable.

Elsewhere, Ian Madigan returns to the line-up at fly-half, while Joe Joyce comes into the second-row in the only change to the pack and Dan Thomas is included in 23-man squad for first time as back-row cover.

Siale Piutau and Steve Luatua are named as co-captains for the final Premiership encounter before the five-week break for Challenge Cup and Premiership Cup competitions.

Form: Worcester Warriors have won just one of their last six Rugby Premiership matches – 44-37 at Leicester in Round 4. The Warriors most recent victory at Sixways in the tournament was against Harlequins in Round 21 last season. Bristol Bears’ only victory in their last four Premiership Rugby fixtures was 20-13 at home to Harlequins in Round 4. Bristol’s most recent away victory came at Hartpury in Round 22 of last year’s RFU Championship. The last seven meetings between the two clubs in all competitions have been evenly split with three wins apiece plus a draw. Bristol have only ever won twice at Sixways, in Premiership Rugby in September 2006 and in the Championship in April 2015.

The teams:

Worcester: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 GJ van Velze (c), 7 Sam Lewis, 6 Marco Mama, 5 Darren Barry, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Nick Schonert, 2 Jack Singleton, 1 Callum Black
Replacements: 16 Joe Taufete’e, 17 Ryan Bower, 18 Simon Kerrod, 19 Pierce Phillips, 20 Ted Hill, 21 Michael Heaney, 22 Jono Lance, 23 Perry Humphreys

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

Date: Sunday, October 7
Venue: Sixways
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant referees: Matthew O’Grady, Paul Dix
Television match official: Rowan Kitt

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There are four games scheduled in the PRO14 on Saturday with the derby between Leinster and Munster at the Aviva Stadium the standout match.

Scarlets v Ospreys

Scarlets club captain Ken Owens returns to action this weekend against regional rivals Ospreys in the first Welsh derby of the season.

Owens will lead the Scarlets out at Parc y Scarlets as the West Wales sides go head-to-head for the first time this season.

Both Scarlets and Ospreys are second in their respective Conferences with both vying for a victory to finish off the opening block of PRO14 fixtures on a positive note ahead of the opening rounds of the European campaign.

Head coach Wayne Pivac has named a strong side for the derby clash with a nearly all-international backline, including a welcome return to action for Leigh Halfpenny, Tom Prydie, Hadleigh Parkes and Gareth Davies who were rested for last weekend’s clash against Southern Kings.

Owens is joined by fellow internationals Wyn Jones and Samson Lee in the front-row with Will Boyde making a long awaited return from injury in the back-row.

Meanwhile, Alun Wyn Jones makes his 232nd appearance for the Ospreys on Saturday, equaling the all-time record currently held by Paul James.

He is joined in the second-row by Bradley Davies while Sam Cross, Justin Tipuric and James King pack down behind them in the back-row. Scott Baldwin returns at hooker in place of Scott Otten.

There are two changes to the backline as James Hook replaces Dan Evans at full-back while Cory Allen comes in for Joe Thomas at outside centre.

The teams:

Scarlets: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Tom Prydie, 13 Kieron Fonotia, 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Johnny McNicholl, 10 Rhys Patchell, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Blade Thomson, 7 Will Boyde, 6 Ed Kennedy, 5 David Bulbring, 4 Jake Ball, 3 Samson Lee, 2 Ken Owens (c), 1 Wyn Jones
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Phil Price, 18 Werner Kruger, 19 Tom Price, 20 Josh Macleod, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Angus O’Brien, 23 Paul Asquith

Ospreys: 15 James Hook, 14 George North, 13 Cory Allen, 12 Owen Watkin, 11 Luke Morgan, 10 Sam Davies, 9 Aled Davies, 8 James King, 7 Justin Tipuric (c), 6 Sam Cross, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Ma’afu Fia, 2 Scott Baldwin, 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements: 16 Scott Otten, 17 Rhodri Jones, 18 Tom Botha, 19 Adam Beard, 20 Olly Cracknell, 21 Matthew Aubrey, 22 Joe Thomas, 23 Hanno Dirksen

Venue: Parc y Scarlets
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Adam Jones (Wales), Simon Rees (Wales)
Television match official: Tim Hayes (Wales)

Dragons v Cardiff Blues

Dragons captain Cory Hill and back-row duo Ollie Griffiths and Ross Moriarty return to the starting line-up to face Cardiff Blues.

The trio missed last weekend’s game in Glasgow, but all three now return as head coach Bernard Jackman makes a total of eight changes to his team.

A new-look front-row will see Leon Brown return at tighthead prop and pack down with hooker Elliot Dee and loosehead prop Brok Harris.

The final changes are at half-back, where fly-half Josh Lewis and scrum-half Rhodri Williams will join forces.

Centre Tyler Morgan also makes a welcome return among the replacements.

Meanwhile, Cardiff Blues have made four changes for Saturday’s Welsh derby at Rodney Parade.

Following back-to-back victories over Munster and the Cheetahs, Wales’ Capital Region are aiming to stretch their winning streak over the Dragons to seven in the competition.

John Mulvihill has been boosted by the return of powerful duo Nick Williams and Josh Navidi, who both come into the back-row with Ellis Jenkins.

Elsewhere in the pack Brad Thyer starts at loosehead while in the backs, Lloyd Williams gets the nod at scrum-half.

The teams:

Dragons: 15 Jordan Williams, 14 Dafydd Howells, 13 Adam Warren, 12 Jarryd Sage, 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Josh Lewis, 9 Rhodri Williams, 8 Ross Moriarty, 7 Ollie Griffiths, 6 Aaron Wainwright, 5 Cory Hill (c), 4 Brandon Nansen, 3 Leon Brown, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Brok Harris
Replacements: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Ryan Bevington, 18 Aaron Jarvis, 19 Huw Taylor, 20 Nic Cudd, 21 Tavis Knoyle, 22 Tyler Morgan, 23 Will Talbot-Davies

Cardiff Blues: 15 Matthew Morgan, 14 Owen Lane, 13 Rey Lee-Lo, 12 Willis Halaholo, 11 Jason Harris, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Lloyd Williams, 8 Nick Williams, 7 Ellis Jenkins (c), 6 Josh Navidi, 5 Josh Turnbull, 4 George Earle, 3 Dmitri Arhip, 2 Kristian Dacey, 1 Brad Thyer
Replacements: 16 Kirby Myhill, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Macauley Cook, 20 Olly Robinson, 21 Tomos Williams, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Garyn Smith

Venue: Rodney Parade
Kick-off: 17:15 BST (16:15 GMT)
Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Assistant referees: Gwyn Morris (Wales), Gareth Newman (Wales)
Television match official: Sean Brickell (Wales)

Leinster v Munster

Saturday’s game at the Aviva Stadium will be a memorable one for Rob Kearney as he gets set to win his 200th cap for Leinster.

Since his debut he has become one of the most decorated players in Irish rugby with 199 Leinster caps, 86 Ireland caps and eight caps for the British & Irish Lions.

It could also be a very special day for Luke McGrath who has been named amongst the replacements and is due to win cap 100 if introduced.

With Kearney in the number 15 jersey, Fergus McFadden is on the right wing with James Lowe on the left.

Robbie Henshaw and Rory O’Loughlin are selected in the centre with Jamison Gibson-Park and Ross Byrne in the half-backs.

Jack McGrath makes his first appearance of the season at loosehead prop having recovered from a knee injury. James Tracy and Michael Bent complete the front-row.

Devin Toner becomes the third highest capped Leinster player of all time as he wins cap 222 in the second-row with James Ryan beside him.

Rhys Ruddock captain the side from the back-row with Dan Leavy and Seán O’Brien completing the pack.

Meanwhile, there are three changes to the Munster side that secured a record PRO14 win over Ulster last weekend at Thomond Park.

Jean Kleyn comes into the second-row in the only change to the pack with Darren Sweetnam and Sammy Arnold joining the backline.

Andrew Conway is set to make his 100th Munster appearance in the clash. Conway starts at full-back with Sweetnam and Keith Earls on either flank.

Peter O’Mahony captains the side in an unchanged back-row with two-try Tommy O’Donnell and CJ Stander keeping their places.

Dan Goggin, a standout in the Ulster win with a two-try performance, is joined by Arnold in the centres.

The half-back pairing is unchanged as Joey Carbery is partnered by Alby Mathewson.

Front-row trio Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell and Stephen Archer are also retained with Kleyn coming in to partner Tadhg Beirne in the engine room.

The teams:

Leinster: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Fergus McFadden, 13 Rory O’Loughlin, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 James Lowe, 10 Ross Byrne, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Seán O’Brien, 7 Dan Leavy, 6 Rhys Ruddock (c), 5 James Ryan, 4 Devin Toner, 3 Michael Bent, 2 James Tracy, 1 Jack McGrath
Replacements: 16 Seán Cronin, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Andrew Porter, 19 Mick Kearney, 20 Josh van der Flier, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Noel Reid, 23 Dave Kearney

Munster: 15 Andrew Conway, 14 Darren Sweetnam, 13 Sammy Arnold, 12 Dan Goggin, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Joey Carbery, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Tommy O’Donnell, 6 Peter O’Mahony (c), 5 Tadhg Beirne, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Stephen Archer, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Dave Kilcoyne
Replacements: 16 Kevin O’Byrne, 17 James Cronin, 18 Ciaran Parker, 19 Billy Holland, 20 Chris Cloete, 21 Duncan Williams, 22 JJ Hanrahan, 23 Rory Scannell

Venue: Aviva Stadium
Kick-off: 18:00 BST (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant referees: Dan Jones (Wales), Mike English (Wales)
Television match official: Jon Mason (Wales)

Benetton Rugby v Southern Kings

Benetton head coach Kieran Crowley has made two changes to his backline and five to his pack for their clash with the Kings on Saturday.

Ignacio Brex and Monty Ioane replace Tommaso Iannone and Luca Sperandio at outside centre and left wing respectively for the PRO14 game.

Up front, there are starts at prop for Nicola Quaglio and Tiziano Pasquali while Alessandro Zanni and Federico Ruzza form a new lock pairing.

Finally Abraham Steyn replaces Marco Barbini on the flank as Benetton look to bounce back from last week’s narrow 31-30 loss at Edinburgh.

Meanwhile, Kings head coach Deon Davids has made three changes to his starting XV that will be taking on Benetton.

While the backline remains unchanged from the one that faced Scarlets in Llanelli last week, the forward pack will see two injury-enforced changes and one rotational switch.

Loosehead prop Justin Forwood will get a start following the departure of Schalk Ferreira from the tour, after the experienced 34-year-old sustained a fractured nose in last weekend’s clash.

Ferreira returned home to Port Elizabeth earlier in the week, together with scrum-half Rudi van Rooyen and flanker Henry Brown, who had both sustained ankle injuries.

Brown’s injury opens up an opportunity for a first starting berth in over two years for CJ Velleman, who had been on the bench for the Kings’ previous two matches.

Velleman made his PRO14 debut in the Kings’ 38-28 victory over Glasgow Warriors a fortnight ago having nursed two serious knee injuries for the past couple of years.

In a rotational change in the second-row, Schalk Oelofse also returns to the starting XV where he will replace Bobby de Wee and partner up with JC Astle at lock. De Wee moves to the bench.

The teams:

Benetton Rugby: 15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Ratuva Tavuyara, 13 Ignacio Brex, 12 Luca Morisi, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Robert Barbieri (c), 7 Abraham Steyn, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Alessandro Zanni, 3 Tiziano Pasquali, 2 Luca Bigi, 1 Nicola Quaglio
Replacements: 16 Alberto De Marchi, 17 Derrick Appiah, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Irné Herbst, 20 Michele Lamaro, 21 Edoardo Gori, 22 Ian McKinley, 23 Alberto Sgarbi

Southern Kings: 15 Masixole Banda, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Harlon Klaasen, 12 Berton Klaasen, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Martin Du Toit, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Ruaan Lerm, 7 Andisa Ntsila, 6 CJ Velleman, 5 John-Charles Astle, 4 Schalk Oelofse, 3 Luvuyo Pupuma, 2 Michael Willemse (c), 1 Justin Forwood
Replacements: 16 Alandre Van Rooyen, 17 Lupumlo Mguca, 18 Rossouw De Klerk, 19 Bobby De Wee , 20 Marthinus Burger, 21 Ruan Van Rensburg, 22 Ntabeni Dukisa, 23 Tristan Blewett

Venue: Stadio Monigo
Kick-off: 20:00 local (19:00 BST, 18:00 GMT)
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Assistant referees: Wayne Davies (Wales), Matteo Liperini (Italy)
Television match official: Alan Falzone (Italy)

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PRO14 side Zebre have announced they have terminated the contract of prop Sami Panico after he was arrested following a raid on his home.

The Italian international forward’s home was raided, with police confiscating 1.5 kg of marijuana, 330 grams of hashish and 10,000 euros.

Panico has since been charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of sale or supply, with Zebre now cancelling the player’s contract.

“Zebre Rugby Club notifies that proceedings have been completed to terminate the contract with the player Sami Panico,” they said in a statement.

“This decision has been taken in keeping with the ethics and principles of the franchise and the contractual arrangements, and of the Federation from which it depends, and follows the suspension of the player from the Zebre Rugby Club team notified on 8 September 2018.

“The player had arrived in an unsuitable physical condition for the pre-season training, and was subsequently unreachable and had ignored all formal reprimands from the team, thus initiating formal proceedings for the final termination of the contract.”

They continued: “Zebre Rugby Club, certain of interpreting the feelings of the Federation and clubs that have contributed to the growth of the player, wishes to express its disappointment at the events that have unfolded while being quite certain that everything has been done so that rugby could be an opportunity for Mr Panico to demonstrate personal and professional growth, allowing him to make full use of his talents.

“The club also wishes to confirm its commitment to all its registered players, both on and off the field, and will continue to support the players as people, not only as athletes, in view of their full and unconditional acceptance of the institutional and ethical values which are intrinsic in sport, and in particular rugby.

“Zebre Rugby Club will make no further comment.”

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