Sunday's Premiership teams: Tuilagi misses Newcastle trip

Manu Tuilagi misses out on Leicester’s trip to Newcastle while James Gaskell leads Wasps at home in the absence of Joe Launchbury.

Tuilagi has suffered a re-occurrence of his long-standing groin injury and will remain on the sidelines for the next couple of weeks in a bid to return to full fitness.

At the Ricoh Arena Wasps will be looking to continue their unbeaten run this term while the Newcastle Falcons will endeavour to make it two home victories from two. 

Wasps v Bristol Rugby (2.30pm)

James Gaskell returns to the starting line-up and will captain the home side in the absence of Joe Launchbury, who misses the game due to a slight groin strain.

Up front Jake Cooper-Woolley starts at tight-head, with Marty Moore missing out due to a calf strain and Phil Swainston comes onto the bench.

New signing Kyle Eastmond is also named on the bench and could make his Wasps debut after recovering from injury.

Bristol hand competitive debuts to three players as Jordan Williams and USA international Thretton Palamo start in the back line and Ryan Bevington earns his first start in the front row.

In total Andy Robinson has made seven changes to the side that suffered defeat to Northampton Saints as forwards Anthony Perenise, Joe Joyce, Olly Robinson and Mitch Eadie all come into the side.

The two clubs have not met in competitive rugby since April 2009 while Wasps' only defeat to Bristol since 2001 came back in 2006.

Wasps: 15 Rob Miller 14 Christian Wade, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Jimmy Gopperth, 11 Frank Halai, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Joe Simpson, 1 Simon McIntyre, 2 Tommy Taylor, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 4 Matt Symons, 5 James Gaskell (c), 6 Alex Rieder, 7 Thomas Young, 8 Guy Thompson.

Replacements: 16 Ashley Johnson, 17 Matt Mullan, 18 Phil Swainston, 19 Kearnan Myall, 20 Nathan Hughes, 21 Craig Hampson, 22 Kyle Eastmond, 23 Josh Bassett.

Bristol Rugby: 15 Jordan Williams, 14 Ryan Edwards, 13 William Hurrell, 12 Thretton Palamo, 11 Tom Varndell, 10 Tusi Pisi, 9 Will Cliff, 1 Ryan Bevington, 2 Ross McMillan, 3 Anthony Perenise, 4 Ian Evans, 5 Joe Joyce, 6 Jack Lam (c), 7 Olly Robinson, 8 Mitch Eadie.

Replacements: 16 Chris Brooker, 17 Soane Tonga'uiha, 18 Gaston Cortes, 19 James Phillips, 20 Jordan Crane, 21 Martin Roberts, 22 Adrian Jarvis, 23 Ben Mosses.

Newcastle Falcons v Leicester Tigers (3pm)

England centre Manu Tuilagi will miss Leicester Tigers' trip to Kingston Park due to injury.

The 25-year-old's latest setback is a flare up to his long standing groin injury and as a result Peter Betham and Owen Williams will team up in Leicester's midfield.

Scrum-half Ben Youngs makes his first start of the new Premiership season and out wide winger Telusa Veainu returns after missing last week's encounter with Wasps.

For the hosts Ally Hogg starts in a reshuffled back row, with Mark Wilson moving to blindside flanker and Evan Olmstead featuring at lock instead of Will Witty.

After signing a permanent contract with the Falcons Dominic Waldouck makes his full Premiership debut and replaces the injured Chris Harris.

Leicester have not won back-to-back away games in the Premiership since March 2015 but Newcastle suffered their second heaviest defeat in Premiership history last weekend in Round 2.

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Vereniki Goneva, 13 Dominic Waldouck, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Sinoti Sinoti, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Sonatane Takulua, 1 Sam Lockwood, 2 Scott Lawson, 3 Jon Welsh, 4 Calum Green, 5 Evan Olmstead, 6 Mark Wilson, 7 Will Welch (c), 8 Ally Hogg. 

Replacements: 16 Ben Sowrey, 17 Rob Vickers, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Will Witty, 20 Dan Temm, 21 Michael Young, 22 Joel Hodgson, 23 Belisario Agulla.

Leicester Tigers: 15 Mathew Tait (c), 14 Telusa Veainu 13 Peter Betham, 12 Owen Williams, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Ellis Genge, 2 George McGuigan, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Mike Fitzgerald, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Mike Williams, 7 Brendon O'Connor, 8 Luke Hamilton.

Replacements: 16 Tom Youngs, 17 Marcos Ayerza, 18 Greg Bateman, 19 Ed Slater, 20 Will Evans, 21 Jono Kitto, 22 Jack Roberts, 23 Adam Thompstone.