Aviva Premiership Saturday team news

All the team news for Saturday's Aviva Premiership fixtures, including Sale v Harlequins and Saracens v Northampton.

Sale Sharks v Harlequins (2.30pm)

Steve Diamond has rotated his Sale squad to make six changes to the side which drew to Saracens last weekend. Joe Ford starts his first Premiership game of the season, pairing up with Chris Cusiter at half-back.

Diamond has opted to rotate his front row with Eifion Lewis-Roberts, Neil Briggs and Brian Mujati starting this week. Also, TJ Ioane returns to the back row, after impressing off the bench last week to replace Cameron Neild.

Harlequins have made five changes to the starting team that played Wasps on Sunday at the Ricoh Arena.

Tim Visser returns from international duty and starts on the wing, with Matt Hopper named at outside centre. Hopper replaces Winston Stanley who is expected to be out for the remainder of the season with an injury sustained last Sunday.

In the forwards, Dave Ward and Kyle Sinckler start in the front row, with Nick Easter returning to No 8.

On the bench Will Collier is named, with Joe Marchant looking to make his first appearance of the season.

Sale: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Will Addison, 13 Sam James, 12 Johnny Leota, 11 Tom Arscott, 10 Joe Ford, 9 Chris Cusiter, 1 Eifion Lewis-Roberts, 2 Neil Briggs, 3 Brian Mujati, 4 Bryn Evans, 5 Andrei Ostirkov, 6 TJ Ioane, 7 David Seymour (c), 8 Mark Easter

Replacements: 16 Tommy Taylor, 17 Ross Harrison, 18 Vadim Cobilas, 19 Jonathan Mills, 20  Cameron Neild, 21 Peter Stringer, 22 Danny Cipriani, 23 Mark Jennings.

Harlequins: 15 Ross Chisholm, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 Matt Hopper, 12 Harry Sloan, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Ben Botica, 9 Tito Tebaldi; 1 Mark Lambert, 2 Dave Ward, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 George Merrick, 5 James Horwill (c), 6 Mat Luamanu, 7 Luke Wallace, 8 Nick Easter

Replacements: 16 Rob Buchanan, 17 Owen Evans, 18 Will Collier, 19 Charlie Matthews, 20 James Chisholm, 21 Sam Egerton, 22 Joe Marchant, 23 Charlie Walker. 

Gloucester v Wasps (3pm) 

Gloucester make four changes to the starting line-up that defeated Newcastle last weekend as they welcome Wasps to Kingsholm.

Greig Laidlaw returns from Scotland duty to captain the side and comes in for Willi Heinz, who was withdrawn from the Falcons game at half-time a week ago with a tight calf. It is the only change to the back line.

In the pack there are three changes as Gloucester continue their rotation policy of recent weeks. Tom Savage returns to partner Jeremy Thrush in the second row, while Sione Kalamafoni and Matt Kvesic come into the back row.

Meanwhile, Wasps' director of rugby Dai Young has made just one change to the starting line-up from last Sunday's win against Harlequins. It comes in the front row, where Edd Shervington starts at hooker.

Simon McIntyre, Sam Jones and Ruaridh Jackson return from injury to take a place on the bench. Wasps also welcome back from RBS Six Nations duty Wales lock Bradley Davies and Italy tighthead Lorenzo Cittadini.

Gloucester: 15 Rob Cook, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Bill Meakes, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Henry Purdy, 10 James Hook, 9 Greig Laidlaw (c); 1 Paddy McAllister, 2 Richard Hibbard, 3 John Afoa, 4 Tom Savage, 5 Jeremy Thrush, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Matt Kvesic, 8 Ross Moriarty

Replacements: 16 Darren Dawidiuk, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Paul Doran-Jones, 19 Mariano Galarza, 20 Lewis Ludlow, 21 Callum Braley, 22 Billy Burns, 23 Henry Trinder.

Wasps: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Charles Piutau, 12 Siale Piutau, 11 Frank Halai, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9. Dan Robson, 1 Matt Mullan (c), 2 Edd Shervington, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 4 James Cannon, 5 Kearnan Myall, 6 Thomas Young, 7 George Smith, 8 Nathan Hughes.
 
Replacements: 16 Ashley Johnson, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Lorenzo Cittadini, 19 Bradley Davies, 20 Sam Jones, 21 Jamie Stevenson, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23 Brendan Macken.

Saracens v Northampton (3.15 pm)

England duo Alex Goode and Jamie George have both been included in the Saracens starting XV, with the pair returning to Premiership action after being released from Eddie Jones' training camp earlier this week.

Full-back Goode comes into the Saracens back three to join Chris Wyles (left wing) and Mike Ellery (right wing), and will be joined by Duncan Taylor and Brad Barritt in the Sarries back line. Taylor lines up at outside centre after playing for Scotland in Rome last weekend, and Barritt returns to captain the side in the No 12 jersey.

Nils Mordt comes into the team to start at fly-half to replace Charlie Hodgson, who is ruled out of the game with a neck injury.

Up front, Richard Barrington starts at loosehead prop in the place of Titi Lamositele, who is away on international duty with the USA Eagles. Barrington is joined by Petrus Du Plessis (tighthead) and George, with the England hooker returning to Sarries action as the Six Nations takes a break over the weekend.

Northampton have made two changes to the team which began last weekend's win over Worcester, with George Pisi and Courtney Lawes coming into the starting XV.

Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Mike Ellery, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Brad Barritt (c), 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Nils Mordt, 9 Ben Spencer, 1 Richard Barrington, 2 Jamie George, 3 Petrus Du Plessis, 4 Hayden Smith, 5 Jim Hamilton, 6 Michael Rhodes, 7 Kelly Brown, 8 Jackson Wray (131)

Replacements: 16 Jared Saunders, 17 Hayden Thompson-Stringer, 18 Juan Figallo, 19 Alistair Hargreaves, 20 Jacques Burger, 21 Neil De Kock, 22 Marcelo Bosch, 23 Nathan Earle.

Northampton: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Ken Pisi, 13 George Pisi, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Tom Collins, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Lee Dickson (c), 1 Alex Waller, 2 Mikey Haywood, 3 Kieran Brookes, 4 Courtney Lawes, 5 Victor Matfield, 6 Jamie Gibson, 7 Tom Wood, 8 Teimana Harrison.

Replacements: 16 Reece Marshall, 17 Ethan Waller, 18 Paul Hill, 19 James Craig, 20 Sam Dickinson, 21 Tom Kessell, 22 JJ Harrahan, 23 Harry Mallinder

Bath v London Irish (3.15 pm)

Max Lahiff, Rob Webber and Henry Thomas start in the front row for Bath, bolstered in the engine room by Charlie Ewels and Dominic Day. Openside flanker Francois Louw captains the team, in a back row also featuring blindside Matt Garvey and No 8 Amanaki Mafi.

Wales fly-half Rhys Priestland returns from Six Nations duty to partner scrum-half Chris Cook in the half-backs. Kyle Eastmond and Ollie Devoto form an exciting midfield partnership, whilst wings Matt Banahan and Semesa Rokoduguni are joined in the back three by fullback Tom Homer.

London Irish have made five changes for their trip to Bath. Alex Lewington has recovered from a broken thumb and comes in for Andrew Fenby on the wing, while Fergus Mulchrone makes way for Johnny Williams at inside centre. Fly-half Greig Tonks, who made the switch from Edinburgh earlier this week, is among the replacements.
   
A knee injury rules Samoa international Ofisa Treviranus out of the contest, with Rob McCusker getting the nod at No 8. Second-row Matt Symons and blindside flanker Ian Nagle also return to the pack.

Bath: 15 Tom Homer, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Ollie Devoto, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Matt Banahan, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Chris Cook; 1 Max Lahiff, 2 Rob Webber, 3 Henry Thomas, 4 Charlie Ewels, 5 Dominic Day, 6 Matt Garvey, 7 Francois Louw (c), 8 Amanaki Mafi.

Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Beno Obano, 18 David Wilson, 19 Stuart Hooper, 20 Leroy Houston, 21 Guy Mercer, 22 Jonathan Evans, 23 Horacio Agulla.    

London Irish: 15 Sean Maitland, 14 Alex Lewington, 13 Ciaran Hearn, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Topsy Ojo, 10 Theo Brophy Clews, 9 Scott Steele, 1 Tom Smallbone, 2 David Paice, 3 Halani Aulika, 4 Matt Symons, 5 Elliott Stooke, 6 Ian Nagle, 7 Luke Narraway (c), 8 Rob McCusker
   
Replacements: 16 Tom Cruse, 17 Tom Court, 18 Leo Halavatau, 19 Jerry Sexton, 20 Blair Cowan, 21 Darren Allinson, 22 Greig Tonks, 23 Fergus Mulchrone