Aviva Premiership: Champions Northampton Saints host Bath in Saturday’s box office clash

Following the thrills and spills of Round Three, with Leicester Tigers being comprehensively thumped by Bath and Saracens maintaining their unbeaten record, the Aviva Premiership is back with another set of intriguing fixtures.

With the autumn internationals beckoning and the 2015 Rugby World Cup just about visible on the horizon the England selection subplots continue to unfurl, none less so than at Franklin’s Gardens, which will surely be centre of Stuart Lancaster’s attention as Northampton Saints clash with Bath.

Saracens, matched only by Bath in winning all three matches to date, put their unbeaten record on the line as Sale Sharks visit Allianz Park, while Leicester Tigers aim to recover from their drubbing with a home fixture against London Irish.

Buzzing Bath

Bath laid down an impressive warning salvo with their 45-0 demolition of Leicester last week, but a visit to face to reigning Premiership champions Northampton will prove an entirely different test for Mike Ford’s men.

Their five-try victory sees Bath sit at the summit, though, Northampton’s riposte to defeat against Wasps, beating Newcastle Falcons 35-10, coupled with the fact the West Country side have not beaten Saints since 2011 leaves the hosts considerable favourites.

In the corresponding fixture last season Bath led 13-0 only for Northampton to come back and win 43-25, the Saints also overturned a half-time deficit to defeat the West Country outfit in last season's European Challenge Cup final.

It is a clash away with England incumbents and challengers alike with Northampton's Alex Corbisiero, Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood, Luther Burrell and Ben Foden all out to lay down markers.

Lancaster will also be tracking the progress of Bath forwards Rob Webber, David Wilson and Dave Attwood as well as fly-half contender George Ford and fellow backs Kyle Eastmond, Jonathan Joseph and Semesa Rokoduguni.

There is a boost for the Saints ahead of the arrival of the early season pace-setters, with England forwards Wood and Corbisiero back in action while Stephen Myler is fit to regain his familiar No 10 jersey.

Following their resounding success against the Tigers, Ford has only made changes where forced with Alafoti Fa’osiliva and Olly Woodburn coming into the starting XV for the injured Carl Fearns and Matt Banahan.

Allianz affair

Strongly tipped by many as champions-elect, Saracens are riding the crest of a wave and their form shows no signs of dipping as Sale Sharks make the trip to Greater London.

Sarries only defeat at Allianz Park since the 2013 Premiership Rugby semi-final came against London Irish in Round 13 last season while the Sharks have been defeated in their last two away games, at London Irish and at Gloucester, but have not lost three in a row on the road in 2014.

Saracens have won their last six Premiership Rugby fixtures against Sale, since the Sharks 28-22 victory at Edgeley Park on 2nd January 2011, but Steve Diamond’s side did end a sequence of four defeats with their 46-8 eclipsing of London Welsh at AJ Bell Stadium last time out.

Mark McCall has been dealt a blow with news that England fly-half Owen Farrell will miss the “next few weeks” with a leg injury having only just returned to action.

In Farrell’s absence veteran Charlie Hodgson proved a more than able deputy and will resume his half-back partnership with Neil de Kock as Brad Barritt keeps the captaincy from mid