Aviva Premiership: Saturday's team news

All the team news for Saturday's Aviva Premiership games, including Wasps v Leicester and London Irish v Saracens from New Jersey.

Wasps v Leicester Tigers (1.45pm)

Ashely Johnson makes his 100th Wasps appearance as the fourth-placed hosts welcome third-placed Leicester to the Ricoh Arena.

Thomas Young recovers from illness to take his place in the back row alongside Sam Jones, and George Smith captains the side.

For the Tigers, full-back Mathew Tait recovers from the groin injury that ruled him out of his side's win over Exeter Chiefs to start, while Matt Smith takes the place of Manu Tuilagi in the centres.

On-loan prop Ellis Genge could make his Tigers debut from the bench.

Wasps: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Charles Piutau, 12 Siale Piutau, 11 Frank Halai, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Dan Robson, 1 Simon McIntyre, 2 Ashley Johnson, 3 Jake Cooper- Woolley, 4 James Cannon, 5 Kearnan Myall, 6 Thomas Young, 7 George Smith (c), 8 Sam Jones.

Replacements: 16 Edd Shervington, 17 Matt Mullan, 18 Phil Swainston, 19 Will Rowlands, 20 Nathan Hughes, 21 Jamie Stevenson, 22 Alex Lozowski, 23 Brendan Macken.

Leicester Tigers: 15 Mathew Tait, 14 Adam Thompstone, 13 Peter Betham, 12 Matt Smith, 11 Vereniki Goneva, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Jono Kitto, 1 Marcos Ayerza, 2 Harry Thacker, 3 Logovi'i Mulipola, 4 Mike Fitzgerald, 5 Dom Barrow, 6 Tom Croft, 7 Lachlan McCaffrey, 8 Ed Slater (c).

Replacements: 16 Michael van Vuuren, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Graham Kitchener, 20 Mike Williams, 21 George Tresidder, 22 Owen Williams, 23 Telusa Veainu.

Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks (2pm)

Northampton make four changes to the side that beat Saracens last weekend, with Ethan Waller, Paul Hill, James Craig and Christian Day all coming into the pack.

Scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'I returns from injury to take his place on the bench.

Sale Sharks head coach Steve Diamond recalls Danny Cipriani in to the starting XV, while Tom Arscott is set to make his 100th Premiership appearance.

Northampton Saints: 15 Ben Foden. 14 Ken Pisi, 13 George Pisi, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Tom Collins, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Lee Dickson (c), 1 Ethan Waller, 2 Mikey Haywood, 3 Paul Hill, 4 James Craig, 5 Christian Day, 6 Jamie Gibson, 7 Tom Wood, 8 Teimana Harrison.

Replacements: 16 Reece Marshall, 17 Alex Waller, 18 Gareth Denman, 19 Victor Matfield, 20 Jon Fisher, 21 Kahn Fotuali'I, 22 JJ Hanrahan, 23 Harry Mallinder.

Sale Sharks: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Tom Arscott, 13 Sam James, 12 Sam Tuitupou, 11 Will Addison, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Peter Stringer, 1 Ross Harrison, 2 Tommy Taylor, 3 Vadim Cobilas, 4 Bryn Evans, 5 Andrei Ostrikov, 6 Cameron Neild, 7 David Seymour, 8 TJ Ioane.

Replacements: 16 Neil Briggs, 17 Eifion Lewis Roberts, 18 Brian Mujati, 19 Jonathan Mills, 20 Magnus Lund, 21 Chris Cusiter, 22 Joe Ford, 23 Mark Jennings.

Worcester Warriors v Gloucester Rugby (2pm)

Nick Wood will become the first Gloucester player to make 200 Premiership appearances when his side travel to Worcester on Saturday afternoon.

Wood is one of three changes to the starting line-up that defeated Wasps at Kingsholm last weekend as he replaces the injured Paddy McAllister.

Also recalled are scrum-half Willi Heinz and winger David Halaifonua, who take the places of Greig Laidlaw (International duty) and Henry Purdy (injury).

Worcester will be chasing back-to-back Aviva Premiership wins after their away triumph at Newcastle Falcons last weekend. Dean Ryan has recalled forwards Carl Kirwan and Niall Annett to the starting line-up for the local derby. 

Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell,14 Bryce Heem, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Cooper Vuna, 10 Tom Heathcote, 9 Francois Hougaard, 1 Val Rapava Ruskin, 2 Niall Annett, 3 Nick Schonert, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 5 Darren Barry, 6 Phil Dowson, 7 Carl Kirwan, 8 GJ van Velze (c).

Replacements: 16 Ben Sowrey,17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga,18 James Johnston, 19 Dan Sanderson, 20 Sam Betty, 21 Luke Baldwin, 22 Ryan Lamb, 23 Andy Symons.

Gloucester Rugby: 15 Rob Cook, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Bill Meakes, 12 Billy Twelvetrees (c), 11 David Halaifonua, 10 James Hook, 9 Willi Heinz, 1 Nick Wood, 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 Henry Trinder, 23 Steve McColl.

Exeter Chiefs v Newcastle Falcons (3pm)

Exeter Chiefs welcome back Henry Slade to the starting line-up for the first time since sustaining a broken leg in early December. Slade is one of seven changes to the side that lost 31-27 at Leicester last weekend, including a new-look front row including captain Jack Yeandle, Ben Moon and Harry Williams.

Thomas Waldrom returns to the side having been rested for last weekend's trip to his former club.

Wing Sinoti Sinoti and fly-half Mike Delany both return for Newcastle as rugby director Dean Richards makes a number of changes. Elsewhere behind the scrum, Giamba Venditti wears the number 14 shirt and Juan Pablo Socino lines up in midfield, while up front prop Mike Cusack makes his first start after signing on loan from Glasgow.

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Phil Dollman, 14 Olly Woodburn, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Sam Hill, 11 Ian Whitten, 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Will Chudley, 1 Ben Moon, 2 Jack Yeandle (c), 3 Harry Williams, 4 Lewis Stevenson, 5 Geoff Parling, 6 Dom Armand, 7 Julian Salvi, 8 Thomas Waldrom.

Replacements: 16 Elvis Taione, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Carl Rimmer, 19 Ollie Atkins, 20 Dave Ewers, 21 Dave Lewis, 22 Will Hooley, 23 Max Bodily.

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Alex Tait, 14 Giamba Venditti, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Sinoti Sinoti, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 1 Alex Rogers, 2 George McGuigan, 3 Mike Cusack, 4 Mourtiz Botha, 5 Callum Green, 6 Mark Wilson, 7 Will Welch, 8 Nili Latu.

Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson, 17 Ben Harris, 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama, 19 Richard Mayhew, 20 Ally Hogg, 21 Michael Young, 22 Andy Goode, 23 Tom Penny.

London Irish v Saracens (8pm GMT)

Greig Tonks, who joined Irish last month, lines up at fly-half for his full debut as the Aviva Premiership stages its first overseas game, with the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey hosting their clash against Saracens.

Elsewhere, hooker Tom Cruse replaces David Paice and Blair Cowan starts at openside flanker, with Luke Narraway switching to blindside.

Saracens full-back Alex Goode, who was released earlier this week from the England squad preparing to face Wales on Saturday, wears the number 15 shirt, while there are also starts for United States internationals Chris Wyles and Hayden Smith, with another - prop Titi Lamositele - named on the bench.

London Irish: 15 Sean Maitland, 14 Alex Lewington, 13 Ciaran Hearn, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Topsy Ojo, 10 Greig Tonks, 9 Scott Steele, 1 Tom Smallbone, 2 Tom Cruse, 3 Halani Aulika, 4 Matt Symons, 5 Elliott Stooke, 6 Luke Narraway (c), 7 Blair Cowan, 8 Rob McCusker.

Replacements: 16 Gerard Ellis, 17 Tom Court, 18 Leo Halavatau, 19 Will Lloyd, 20 Joe Trayfoot, 21 Darren Allinson, 22 Theo Brophy Clews, 23 Fergus Mulchrone.

Saracens:  15 Alex Goode, 14 Mike Ellery, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Brad Barritt (c), 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Nils Mordt, 9 Ben Spencer, 1 Richard Barrington, 2 Jared Saunders, 3 Juan Figallo, 4 Hayden Smith, 5 Jim Hamilton, 6 Michael Rhodes, 7 Jacques Burger, 8 Jackson Wray.

Replacements: 16 Dave Porecki, 17 Titi Lamositele, 18 Petrus Du Plessis, 19 Alistair Hargreaves, 20 Kelly Brown, 21 Neil De Kock, 22 Nick Tompkins, 23 Ben Ransom.